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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentarians have been asked by Majority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin to declare whether or not the free senior high school (Free SHS) program is their top priority.
This came after he charged that the opposition lawmakers had not committed to passing the free SHS Bill.
On Tuesday, June 25, he addressed reporters in Parliament and stated, “We have heard the honorable member for Akatsi North, who is the ranking member on education, firmly opposing the free SHS bill. It is obvious that the NDC minority does not support free SHS, despite our desire to pass legislation making it obligatory.
“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.
“The Ministry of Education is going to ferry the bill through to Parliament, we are ready and that is what as part of the engagement process we engage them but they are adamant. The NDC is not ready for the free SHS bill, it is clear their spokesperson on education has been very loud. The last time I tried to tease the matter on the floor he avoided a response, he stayed clear of it and was not ready to commit himself. So we know that in parliament the caucus speaks through its spokesperson and he is the ranking member on education, he is the NDC spokesperson on education, and he says he is opposed to the free SHS bill because there is some provision in the constitution, they should tell us why they are opposed to the bill.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has already approved the law administratively.
The Majority Leader claimed two weeks ago that the aspirational measures in the section of the Constitution that guaranteed free education were not subject to legal challenges.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasized the need for passing legislation pertaining to the free SHS program by stating that certain clauses in the Constitution were unenforceable and that “you cannot claim the right to those provisions.”
Because the provisions are only aspirational, he clarified, their existence does not imply that “you can apply to the court to enforce those rights.”
“Now, when it gets to the point where a government lifts it to give life to it, there is the need to enact a law to regulate same. In doing so, it would have been given life to become justiciable to allow a court to rely on it to make orders, enforce certain rights and take certain actions,” he explained.
He, therefore, expressed the hope for the House to pass the bill which would make the free SHS policy enforceable, regardless of the government in power.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
