Bishops Cautions Government Over Free SHS Education

Reverend Dr Seth Osibisa Lartey, Bishop of the Western West Africa Episcopal District of the AME Zion Church, has cautioned politicians not to over-promise voters and under-deliver. He also asked the government to reconsider the current free senior high school (SHS) policy. A total of 365,000 are expected to benefit from Government�s progressive free Senior High School policy for the 2015/2016 academic year. He said free basic education could be possible now but a free education policy by government to its adult citizens would be a mirage given the state of the economy with its growing pressure on resource allocation. Bishop Lartey, who heads the AME Zion in Ghana, Togo, Liberia and Cote d�Ivoire, gave the caution on Sunday during the dedication a new church building for the Bishop Alleyne Society of the Church at Atico in Accra. Bishop Lartey with assistance from the Rev Anthony K. Mensah, the Presiding Elder of the Accra District of the Church who started the building, and Nii Amarkai II of Asere, Acting Dzasetse for the Bubiashie-Darkuman Area, dedicated the building to the Lord. He said the AME Zion Church�s role in the area of education in Ghana and other nations could not be under estimated and noted that the cost of education, especially at the higher levels, could not be entirely free as some politicians are making people to believe. He said going round the country today, there are so many schools in the districts that do not even have functioning lavatories and yet Ghanaians are being made to believe that secondary and tertiary education could be made free. Bishop Lartey observed that to dedicate something to the Lord, one or the people making the dedication must first consecrate themselves through prayer and worship before the Lord could accept and dwell in whatever they are committing to Him. He said when people dedicate themselves, they untie God�s hands to work for them in all things and vice versa. Rev Mensah, prayed for the nation, the President and his team of leaders to work selflessly and in service to the people who elected them.