Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, insists that ex-President Mahama should have been a ‘crusader’ for the free Senior High School (SHS) policy and not seek to undermine it.

He said Mr. Mahama managed to rise to his present status because he (Mahama) benefitted from a free education programme in his youthful years but is turning around to frustrate President Akufo-Addo’s administration for providing a similar programme for the poor in particular.

According to him, Mr. Mahama, ideally, should have personally acted as a crusader for the free SHS policy and not always run the laudable initiative down just for what he called ‘parochial political advantage.’

Napo said, “sadly, Mr. Mahama is using his efforts and resources to bring the free SHS programme down to deny the youth of today from benefitting from the policy.”

“Mr. Mahama’s was from a rich family but he left his school in Accra and enrolled in another school in the Northern Region just to benefit from education at that time.”

The minister, who double as MP for Manhyia South was speaking when he presented assortment of items to some section of his constituents to help better their lots in the interim.

“Naturally, Mr. Mahama having benefitted from free education, should have personally appointed himself as free SHS ambassador to help market this laudable policy. But sadly, Mr. Mahama has been openly criticizing the fee SHS policy without proffering solutions and that is very sad,” he said.

He described the free SHS as the best thing to happen to Ghana and said as sector minister “I would jealously protect the free SHS policy for more people especially the poor to benefit from it.”

The Education Minister cautioned Mr. Mahama to desist from attacking the free SHS programme without justification saying “if he attack the policy ten times, I will reply him eleven times”.

Napo stated he respects Mr. Mahama as a former president, but he would not spare him if he dare work against the success of the free SHS programme.

“Mr. Mahama knows the huge benefits of the free SHS, having been a beneficiary when he was young. Therefore he must work to promote the free SHS programme”.