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As the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government crumbles under the unwieldy and humongous promises they dished out to Ghanaians during the 2016 elections, most of its incompetent and underperforming Ministers have resorted to character assassinations and unwarranted attacks against officials of the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

The latest to buckle under the ‘promise galore’ pressure and exhibit his ignorance is the loudmouth and clueless Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly called Napo, who, out of sheer envy has attacked the personality and works of the much-respected, Professor Naana Opoku Agyeman, the former Minister of Education.

So one may ask - if it wasn't for envy and ignorance, why would a medical doctor-turned politician who has no clue about education, have the courage and temerity to attack an educationist whose record and unblemished character stand out for all to see?

For the avoidance of doubt, Napo cannot in any way compare his wobbly Free SHS policy to the unprecedented achievements in education chalked by Professor Opoku Agyeman and her team under the John Mahama-led government. In the history of the nation, no government has contributed so much to infrastructural development to the educational sector, save the Nkrumah government.

Even after a mere four months after implementation, it has become patently clear that this government's Free SHS cannot be compared to the ‘Progressively Free SHS’ introduced by Professor Opoku Agyeman under the Mahama government which saw adequate infrastructure being developed and free education being rolled out in a systemic and well-thought out manner.

We are all witnesses to the unprepared roll out of the Free SHS and the numerous challenges that the policy has faced barely four months into its launch.

Can Matthew Opoku Prempeh justify why people's wards are sleeping, learning and eating under trees and on corridors in this age and time? Or can he explain to Ghanaians why the government of which he is part, has still not released the subvention due to heads of schools for students upkeep days to the end of the first term?

Soon, the Free SHS policy will unravel and Ghanaians will realize the extent of damage that the NPP government has caused to Ghana’s educational system. And there is no one to shoulder the blame than the highly incompetent Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who without planning whatsoever, rolled out such a huge policy without thinking about the financial implications on the economy. No wonder he and his government are now running to the ordinary Ghanaian to contribute to fund his Free SHS policy. But are we surprised in any away? The then Candidate Akufo-Addo on a programme on the BBC could not tell the world the cost of the Free SHS resulting in his infamous “the costing, the costing” blabbering.

Indeed, it is meaningless to compare Opoku Prempeh's performance in the educational sector to the record of Professor Naana Opoku Agyeman because that would be a grievous mistake.

As a youth group committed to the welfare of the youth, we the Young Cadres will want to advise Napo to stick to rectifying the huge challenge he and his government have thrown the nation's educational system in. We think, Napo and the NPP government are jeopardizing the future of this state and the earlier he finds solutions to the problems currently becoming bedevilling the country's educational system, the better it will be for him and the little reputation he is left with.
Signed:

• Michael Dery
President
Young Cadres Association
Tel-0245983380

• Bright Botchway
General Secretary
Young Cadres Association
Tel-0249999145