The Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central region, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has alleged that the Minority caucus in Parliament is opposing the proposed free senior High School bill.
The bill proposed to Parliament seeks to regulate the Free SHS programme by making it mandatory for other subsequent governments to sustain the policy.
Hon. Afenyo-Markin revealed that the bill has received executive approval for it to be laid before Parliament by the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.
In an engagement with the press in parliament on Tuesday, June 25, the Majority leader stated that, the minority must provide reasons for its opposition to the bill.
He said, “We have heard the Ranking Member on Education, the Hon Member for Akatsi North, [Peter Nortsu-Kotoe], strongly opposing the Free SHS bill. Clearly, the NDC minority doesn’t want to commit itself to the Free SHS, and the fact that we want to enact a law to make it mandatory.
“We have stated time without number that those provisions in the constitution that talk about Free SHS, are very aspirational, they are aspirational provisions. So, the way to go is to enact a law to regulate the Free SHS policy which is currently in operation.
“The NDC is opposed to this, and they have spoken through their ranking member. We want them to tell Ghanaians whether Free SHS is not their priority, as a responsible opposition.
According to Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Ministry of Education is going to ferry the bill through to parliament adding that, “We’re ready and as part of the engagement process, we engaged them, but they are adamant. The NDC is not ready for the Free SHS bill. It’s clear and their spokesperson on education has been clear. The last time I tried to tease the matter out of the floor, he avoided a response and stayed clear of it. He’s not ready to commit himself.
“We know that in Parliament, the caucus speaks through its spokesperson and he’s the ranking member on Education, he’s the NDC’s Spokesperson on education and he says he is opposed to the bill because there are some provisions in the constitutions. They should tell us why they oppose the bill.”
