With the general elections looming, Akufo-Addo has begun depicting signs of clear confusion and desperation as his administration is collapsing under monumental corruption and non-performance in the wake of complacency. Warning signs of a defeat for the man many agree is a corruption kingpin presiding over family and friends scandals and doing everything to clear them of culpability have finally gotten into Akufo-Addo’s marrows.
Understandably his last-minute campaign messages are now full of falsehood and insults against Former President John Mahama who is tipped to topple him in the polls.
Addressing drivers at Odorkor today, President Akufo-Addo in a loud shout attacked the Former President for claiming he introduced Free SHS, and debunked that assertion. It is not clear whether Akufo-Addo was confused, mischievous or forgetful in making this assertion. On 6th March, 2014 Citifmonline and several news portals reported that Akufo-Addo on Oman Fm praised Mahama’s decision to implement Free SHS in 2015 saying it was good news for Ghanaians. This is an admission by the same Akufo-Addo that Mahama introduced the Free SHS before he Akufo-Addo came to power in January, 2017.
Again on 12th August, 2020, the Akufo-Addo administration told the whole world that it came to meet and cleared GH30.1 million Free SHS debt left by the Mahama administration. The Ghana News Agency reported this as follows: “Education Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh said on Tueday that the Progressively Free SHS policy by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) when it was in government left GHc30.1 million arrears for the 2015/16 academic year.” This was in an address the Education Minister, Hon. Prempeh made to parliament.
It is instructive to note that it was this Progressive Free SHS model that the Akufo-Addo administration imitated when it rolled out its so-called Free SHS. In the first year they catered for only first-year students, excluding continuing students. In the following year, they added new entrants to the first batch and excluded continuing students again.
It is, therefore, dishonest for Akufo-Addo, now looking for votes again, to stand before drivers and claim it was not Mahama who introduced Free SHS in Ghana, probably under the mistaken impression that the drivers will not take the pain to cross-check his blatant falsehood.
This attitude towards campaigning when it is now clear to Akufo-Addo that his complacency is leading him to a disgraceful defeat is a clear justification of how desperate and confused the President is.
