A former deputy education minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has claimed that four female beneficiaries of the free Senior High School (SHS) policy are currently pregnant.
The North Tongu Member of Parliament (MP) claimed on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen hosted by Akua Boakyewaa Yiadom that the female students are becoming pregnant due to lack of supervision.
“One of the headmasters called me to tell me that four of the students are pregnant…he prefers to be anonymous for fear of victimization…,” he claimed.
These pregnant students, Okudzeto claimed are students who did not have accommodation on the campuses and have been forced to rent rooms in town.
“They are living alone and you can imagine a child of 13 or 14 years old living without the supervision of the parents, what will happen…these are the results…,” he added.
Okudzeto Ablakwa however failed to mention the names of the students, the headmaster who told him as well as the school. He could only mention that the school is in Cape Coast.
Okudzeto had predicted in Parliament that the policy will collapse in five years if something urgent was not done about funding.
“In 2018, we are talking about four terms, and yet you have provided for only ¢1.13 billion for free SHS; woefully inadequate.
“But Mr Speaker, what is more even troubling is that the whole of Ghana was expecting that the Budget under education would come with a Marshal Plan; a rescue package for the disaster, which this country is grappling with,” he added.
President Nana Akufo-Addo replied the Minority, saying, the “politically motivated propagandists and naysayers, who, in the last few years, said that free SHS was not possible and could happen only after 20 years, are now singing a new tune. They now claim free SHS is not sustainable and will crash in five years.”
The president said, “I continue to be puzzled as to the vehemence with which so-called social democrats oppose or attempt to undermine measures designed to address poverty. Their demagoguery and opportunism will always be exposed.”
But Okudzeto insists he stands by the point that the policy would collapse in five years.
“I am even generous with the five years, it won’t last five years to collapse…,” he insisted.
He further revealed that the 4 pregnant students are beneficiaries. He however failed to reveal the identities of the students.
The Former Deputy Education Minister also failed to name the school they attend.
“They were not pregnant before going to school…because of the lack of accommodation, they did not have accommodation of campus, they have rented in town and these are the results…,” he claimed.
Okudzeto at lying best
The claim of the former Minister was disputed by MP for Jaman North constituency, Siaka Stevens, who claimed the ‘cock and bull story’ cannot be forced down the throat of Ghanaians as facts.
He further challenged the Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to provide evidence including the test results that proved that the students were pregnant to back his claims.
“If someone is pregnant, there must be test results to prove when they became pregnant and all that…he is just at his propaganda best
“When did the girls get pregnant…he should provide evidence to back his claims, was it not the same Okudzeto who claimed to have created 3 million jobs but was refuted by ET Mensah?” he challenged the MP.
Four Free SHS students pregnant
-