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Claim: An X user (formerly Twitter) alleges that ex-Ghanaian Finance Minister Seth Terkper has said the incoming John Mahama administration will limit the Free Senior High School (SHS) to only day students.
Verdict: False! DUBAWA’s checks showed the ex-Finance Minister Seth Terkper did not make the alleged claim. Discussing the Free SHS on Accra-based TV3, Mr Terkper said the country’s budget could not support an “unfettered Free SHS.” The ex-Finance Minister later said that free secondary education in countries in Europe and America benefits day students. He did not say that was the policy decision of the incoming president.
Full Text
An X user (formerly Twitter) alleges that ex-Ghanaian Finance Minister Seth Terkper has said the incoming John Mahama administration will limit the beneficiaries of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy to only day students.
“Listen to JM’s [John Mahama] plan for free SHS errr. They intend to complete the E-Blocks so they can limit the programme to only day students. Thank you, Ghanaians 3y3 Zu!!!!,” the X user said on Dec. 14, 2024.
The X user was reacting to an interview Mr Terkper granted Accra-based TV3 on the plans of the incoming John Mahama administration on the Free SHS policy.
President Nana Akufo-Addo rolled out the free SHS policy in 2017 as part of his campaign promises ahead of the 2016 General Elections.
The social media data showed that, as of Dec. 19, 2024, the post had received 187 comments, 238 reposts, 2,432 likes, and 292 bookmarks.
Reacting to the post, an X user, Illoyd Sena Tawia, wrote:
“I am not sure you paid attention. Today, free SHS includes free accommodation, free 3-square meals, free electricity, free water, etc. After enjoying all these, they come out, and there are no jobs. Let’s be reasonable: Do these freebies boost the economy?”
Another X user, Nsor Sabasi, wrote, “The verdict is out, let the Ghanaian people come here, we warned them!!!”
DUBAWA decided to probe the claim as part of its campaign against misinformation and disinformation in Ghana.
Verification
DUBAWA’s checks showed the ex-Finance Minister Seth Terkper did not make the alleged claim.
Discussing the Free SHS on Accra-based TV3, Mr Terkper said the country’s budget cannot support an “unfettered Free SHS.”
“Ghana’s budget cannot sustain unfettered Free SHS. Unfettered in the sense that the government takes on everything—and remember, tuition is free,” he said.
See minutes 2:33 to 3:00 of the video shared on X here for Mr Terkper’s comment on the Free SHS policy.
The ex-Finance Minister later said that free secondary education in countries in Europe and America benefits only day students.
Mr Terkper did not say anywhere in the course of the interview that the incoming administration would limit the beneficiaries of the programme to only day students.
The incoming President, John Mahama, has said he will not cancel the Free SHS policy as speculated.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in its 2024 Manifesto, promised to continue the Free SHS to include private schools.
See page 125 of paragraph 5.1.3. Of the NDC’s 2024 Manifesto here.
A few days after his popular election as President-Elect, Mr Mahama maintained in an interview with the U.S.-Based Voice of America (VOA) that the “Free SHS has come to stay, and nobody will abolish it.”
“The claims were nothing more than political talk and gimmickry. We will focus on securing sustainable funding to strengthen and improve the programme,” he added.
Conclusion
Ex-Ghanaian Finance Minister Seth Terkper has not said the incoming President John Mahama’s administration would limit Free SHS to only day students, as alleged.
This report was produced under the DUBAWA “Combating Election Misinformation and Disinformation in Ghana’s 2024 Elections” Project aimed at promoting a culture of truth and verification pre and post 2024 General Elections with support from the Federal Republic of Germany in Ghana.
