Free SHS: ‘Review means cancellation’ – Will government eat humble pie over 2020 comment?

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the weekend held a crunch meeting with key members of his government to decide on the way forward in mitigating the current economic downturn.

Even before the government announces the outcome, Information Minister Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah is reported by news portal citinewsroom.com as saying that all flagship programs by the government including Free SHS are up for review.

“All the 16 flagship programs are up to be looked at. The President has directed that the flagship programs should be protected and fully implemented to ensure that the impact is achieved.

“However, he wants it done within the constraints of item number 2 which is the fiscal framework we are working with.

“If based on the caps that we are working with, we will have to rescope a particular flagship program, we will do it and see how much we can achieve.

“All the 16 are up for discussion, none is off-limit. Only that the President has laid down the red line that we will not compromise on the fiscal consolidation agenda because our real problem over the years has been a year-on-year deficit going out of hand,” the Ofoase-Ayirebi MP told Accra-based Citi FM Monday March 21.

The comment by Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah has elicited a conversation on social media, particularly on Twitter where a video of him is trending.

In the 12 seconds video, Oppong-Nkrumah is heard saying Former President John Dramani Mahama will collapse the Free SHS programme if elected as President.

“…that this claim to possibly review the programme if Mr. Mahama were ever to regain power is simply a veiled threat to collapse the program,” Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah said in the 2020 video clip.

The NDC insisted that a review did not mean a cancellation.

Amidst whether or not ‘review means cancellation’, a former Minister for Communication, Dr. Omane Boamah is calling on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Former President Mahama to settle the confusion.

“President Akufo-Addo and HE John Mahama must help settle this ‘confusion’: Does “review” mean “cancel”?,” he posted on his Facebook handle.