One of the best things that should ever happen to Ghana is free SHS. It
is national in character, the impact is huge but it is costly. So any
government that demonstrates the audacity to implement such a policy
must be supported by all, more especially when such a policy is a
constitutional obligation.
In the collective wisdom of Ghanaians the NPP demonstrated convincing
commitment in the last election campaign and in their manifesto to
implement this policy in a more desired manner and has been offered the
mandate to do same. This however does not immune the Nana Addo’s
government of the inherent deficiencies that come with implementing such
a huge policy.
Ghana is not the first country in the world to implement free SHS,
however, the development experiences of Ghana and the challenges of
Ghana is Ghanaian specific and requires indigenous Ghanaian solutions to
them.
We are Ghanaians and we know ourselves better. We know the unacceptable
levels of economic and social inequality that exist here. We know the
kind of salaries and allowances that government appointees take home. We
know the kind of salaries and allowances that the article 71 public
sector workers take home. We know the ex-gratia of the Ghanaian
parliamentarian in his four year term, and we know the kind of
outrageous salaries that ministers and board members take home
excluding their entertainment, security, fuel and dressing allowances.
We also know the daily struggle of a roadside coco seller just as we
know the predicament of an average street vendor. We know the poverty of
the ordinary civil and public servant just as we are not oblivious of
the conditions of Ghanaian subsistence farmer.
We know about the financing challenges we have with other social
intervention policies such as the National Health Insurance Program, the
school feeding program and the capitation grant. We are aware of
occasion where wages and salaries of workers are paid on the 4th and 5th
of the next month due to difficulty in mobilizing adequate funds. We
know about the monthly and quarterly interest payments on our loans
which is almost half of our GDP as we still borrow further. We know
about our statutory payments to MMDA common fund and GET fund. We have
not forgotten about the One million dollars per each of the 216
constituencies annually which amounts to 216 million dollars annually.
One village, one dam and one district one factory amongst other
promises. We recognize the effort of our president in blocking lots of
the existing loop holes but we are also not unaware of allegations of
others being created under your watch.
Beyond these exorbitantly paid political appointees and the article 71
public sector workers, there are several other people in the private
sector who make so much money. These people hold the wealth of this
country; they are comfortable and are capable of paying the fees of
their wards which they will happily do anyway, so why not give them the
chance to pay? Why at all is the need in paying the fees of a minister
who enjoys a salary of over ghc17, 000 each month plus all forms of
flimsy allowances and per diems? It is great to be audacious but
unbridled audacity may be a recipe for chaos.
Allow the rich to Pay so you can treat the poor better!!
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