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The Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho says the announcement of a proposed August 4, ‘Founders' Day’ celebration by government is purely strategic.

According to him, the Nana Addo-led government wants to shift attention from his “chaotic” free SHS policy which commenced a week ago.

“Nana Addo and his team are at work. He introduced his free SHS policy which we all know is not free. He (President Nana Addo) knows very well the controversy he has created in the educational sector. This headless policy is creating a whole of problems so he has thrown in this thing to divert attention,” he said. 

Koku however noted that “Nana Addo wants to make J. B Danquah more popular than Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. That is what he wants to do.”

Speaking on NEAT FM's morning show ‘Ghana Montie’, the Deputy Chief scribe of the largest opposition party was of a view that the presidency “want to cover up the mess they have created at the education sector with this Founders' Day celebration”. 

To him, the free SHS promised by the NPP is not free because parents are buying chop boxes, trunks, brooms, soaps, sponge, toiletries and other items before their wards are admitted in the various public schools.

“They say it is free education. Is the trunk free? Is the chop box free? Is the mattress free? Is the blanket free? Is the bed sheet free? Are the toiletries free? Where is the free education, where is the free education? Parents are buying chop boxes, trunks and other items and so where is the free education?” he quizzed. 

Adding that "you have forced students to rent hostels when we have boarding facilities. This is nothing from witchcraft and a populist agenda . . . Who forced you to implement the free SHS? If you cannot implement the SHS, then don’t do it.’’

He slammed government for intimidating headteachers who are making demands for PTA levies.

"Because of Akufo-Addo’s populist free SHS, they have placed an embargo on PTA dues,"he noted.