In a desperate attempt to clarify his promise to review the free Senior High School (SHS) policy, former President and flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 general election, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, has pledged to scrap the government’s provision of free food to students through the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited.
According to him, heads of schools will be responsible for procuring food themselves from the open market to feed students.
Addressing a political rally, Mr. Mahama criticized the current centralized food procurement system managed through Buffer Stock, alleging that it has led to a decline in the quality of food served in schools.
He claimed that under the current system, headmasters struggle to feed students when food deliveries from the Buffer Stock Company are delayed.
The NDC flagbearer promised to return financial control to school management, allowing them to purchase food directly from the open market.
This promise comes at a time when Ghanaians are challenging the NDC to define what they mean by a “review” of the Free SHS policy.
The NPP has indicated that the NDC’s plan to review the policy is a veiled attempt to cancel the programme, which has provided free secondary education to about 5.7 million Ghanaians in the past seven years.
However, the NDC claims that its review of Free SHS is aimed at targeting needy but brilliant students, instead of the current wholesale approach of the NPP government.
The main opposition party’s promise to offer free first-year tertiary education to all students from the next academic year has raised questions about the party’s sincerity in criticizing the NPP’s wholesale Free SHS policy, forcing the NDC to reconsider its position.
In light of the growing scrutiny, the NDC has now shifted its focus, promising to review the feeding arrangements associated with the current Free SHS policy.
