Retired Commissioner of Police (COP) George Alex Mensah, who is also an aspiring New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Bekwai constituency, has called on Ghanaians to support the NPP and retain them in power during the 2024 polls to safeguard the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.
In an interview with Asaase Radio, Mensah emphasized that the NPP is the best party to govern the country, citing their proven track record of implementing policies that benefit the less privileged in society.
He stated, “I see the NPP as the best party that can help the country. The whole world knows what is happening. And we know what this government is doing to ensure that Ghana can overcome all these challenges. At least we still have free SHS, don’t we?”
The Free SHS policy, introduced by the NPP government in 2017, offers free tuition, boarding, and meals to all public senior high school students in Ghana. The policy has received both praise for making secondary education more accessible to all Ghanaians, regardless of their financial circumstances, and criticism for its high cost.
Despite fiscal pressures and calls to reduce spending on the policy, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to the Free SHS policy. Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare assured Ghanaians in August 2023 that President Nana Akufo-Addo had no intention of canceling the policy, highlighting its significant positive impact on the lives of Ghanaian youth.
The 2024 general election in Ghana is expected to be highly contested between the NPP and the primary opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with the Free SHS policy likely to be a prominent issue during the campaign.