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Why is the government paying my children’s school fees when I didn’t ask for it? – John Awuah

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The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Association of Bankers, John Awuah, has called on the government to review some of its flagship programmes, especially now that the country is experiencing economic crisis.

According to him, the Free Senior High School programme in its current state, is wasteful and does not help the current dire economic situation in the country.
He stated that the government could review the Free SHS policy such that it only targets community day schools and the needy in society.
He said, “Why is the government paying my children’s school fees? I did not ask for it. Why is Free SHS free for me? Why is it free for people like me and a lot more people who have not asked for it?”
He noted that the poor implementation of the Free SHS policy was due to the lack of reliable data on Ghana’s demography, leading to blanket implementation of social interventions.
“We always hide behind the absence of data and every social intervention we do blanket application to both the rich and the poor. So the rich put their children in primary schools and pay thousands and thousands of school fees and then when they get to secondary school they get it for free.
“I can’t just bring myself to understand this. There is a way of finding out brilliant, not even brilliant, the needy students, and the needy parents whose wards in the secondary school may need support,” he said.
He added that it is only in Ghana that the government is offering free boarding facilities to students.
“And one other thing, there is no country, I’ve done my checks, no country under this sun that gives free boarding education. America doesn’t do that, the UK doesn’t do that, Australia doesn’t do that, Germany doesn’t do that, these are the countries we visit to take money to subsidise our education and then we give free boarding education.
“Free breakfast, free lunch, free supper, free uniform, free shoes, free books, free tuition, electricity, water from a poor country? I’m not sure that is how you solve a problem when you’re sitting on a huge fiscal gap and all you’re doing is taking actions that will further broaden the fiscal deficit,” he said.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
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Justin Kodua Frimpong files nomination to seek re-election as NPP General Secretary

General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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UGMC disputes Michael Blackson’s claims over late mother’s treatment

The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey




