Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Richard Ahiagbah hit out at an aide to former President John Dramani Mahama in a spat over Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program of the current government.
In his latest post responding to Stan, Ahiagbah has reason to ask if “his brother,” was okay pointing out perceived insults in Stan’s rebuttal to his earlier post.
Ahiagbah insisted that his earlier post demanding clarity on a 100-day promise to review the program as advanced by Mahama was a legitimate question that demanded an answer.
“You may be frustrated with the question, but you have to provide an answer because as someone who has suffered to go through SHS and almost didn’t complete school, I want to know that people from my background to continue to benefit from Free SHS.
“Try again, this time no insults. But, if I don’t hear from you, I shall assume my worst fear which is that the NDC plans to cancel the Free SHS policy,” his post read in part.
The tweet exchange that triggered the back and forth:
Ahiagbah on November 8 tweeted: “H.E John Mahama says he will review the Free Senior High School policy within 100 days if elected. Well, that simply means he will CANCEL the popular Free SHS policy as the NDC has always hinted. But why would a social democratic party be opposed to the interest of the masses? Do you remember my brother John Dumelo and the masses?
“H.E Mahama must tell us what his review of the Free SHS policy would entail. We must get answers because it is primarily a financing intervention or initiative to eliminate the cost barrier to education for the masses.
“H.E Mahama canceled the Teacher and Nursing trainee allowance. Well, now he wants to cancel the Free SHS policy too… Don’t allow him…”
Then Stan posted this response quoting Ahiagbah’s tweet on November 9: “For your level of education, at your age and despite your short political experience, you should not be disgracing yourself in this manner @RAahiagbah!
“Are you sure your little children won’t be disappointed that their father goes public to embarrass them in this manner, by claiming that a decision to hold a stakeholders meeting on improving the implementation of the free SHS policy means John Mahama wants to cancel free SHS.
“You may be dumb, but you honestly don’t have to display it so brazenly, as a political leader some young people will unknowingly be looking up to.
“As I keep saying, we should not debase our political discourse for the sake of political expediency,” Stan’s post concluded.
It was this riposte that led to Ahiagbah’s latest fightback.
Mahama’s latest promise on reviewing the Free SHS programme was made on November 8 when he addressed the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Accra.
He submitted: “Within the first 100 days in government, we will convene a stakeholder summit that brings together educationists, experts, teachers, parents, students, and opinion leaders to deliberate on how to improve the implementation of the Free SHS system and also improve the quality of our basic education.”
SARA
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
