President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that a radio station is currently running a campaign against the free senior high school (Free SHS) education policy introduced by his government in 2017.
“A radio station is currently running a campaign against free SHS.”
“During the last elections, I got the clear impression [that] free SHS has been endorsed by all political parties and all we needed to do was to keep improving it.”
“Would a spirited defense of the free SHS policy constitute an attack on press freedom? I wonder. It cannot be that everyone has a right of reply except members of the government and officialdom.
“Nor can it be that the challenging and opinion expressed by a journalist constitutes an attack on press freedom.”
President Akufo-Addo’s comment was in reaction to recent public discussions on “culture of silence”.
The President said he had been a critical and integral part of promoting for the country a constitution that upheld the freedom of association, speech and the media, the separation of powers, the rule of law, a strong and vibrant environment and a private sector that made people prosper and would do nothing to jeopardise the gains made in that direction.
He was speaking at a special congregation at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Saturday.
The occasion was to award him an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree for his meritorious contribution to educational development in the country, with particular reference to the implementation of the free senior high school policy.
Source: Graphic
