Former Chief of Defense Staff, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah (Rtd), has opposed the promise made by President John Dramani Mahama to introduce free tuition for first-year tertiary students.
He argues the financial responsibility of tertiary education of the Ghanaian should not be the burden of the state.
“Why pay for them? What is the essence of tertiary education? What is the use? You don’t have to pay for it. Come on, it’s not necessary,” he stated Speaking at a stakeholder engagement at O’Reilly Senior High School on January 15
“If someone wants to go to tertiary education, the parents should afford it because you don’t need them anyway. I don’t need them. They finish, then they will be roaming about in Accra finding jobs. They can’t even produce solar energy to power lights for us. They can’t do anything, so don’t waste our money on them.”
Although he plans to communicate his stance directly to President Mahama, he is pessimistic about him (President Mahama) heeding his advice.
“I’m going to tell President John Dramani Mahama, it’s not necessary. But they won’t listen to me because they are politicians; I’m not,” he said.
During the campaign ahead of the December 7, 2024 elections, the then flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama promised that first-year tertiary students will not pay academic fees.
According to him, this would be a government initiative to lessen the burden on parents financing the cost of their children’s education.
