Member of Parliament for Okaikwei South, Ernest AdomakoGovernment resources under the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy should be directed at serious students and not wasted on those who abuse drugs, the Member of Parliament for Okaikwei South, Ernest Adomako, has said.
He argued that the Free SHS programme is financially demanding and risks becoming a liability if beneficiaries engage in drug abuse and later fail to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Speaking to the media, the MP proposed that the Ministry of Education conduct random drug tests on SHS students when they return from vacation to ensure funds are invested in deserving students.
“Government is spending so much on free education to help these kids grow and become useful to our nation. But looking at the rate at which some are engaging in drugs — smoking weed, using tramadol or other substances — if care is not taken, we’ll spend huge sums only for them to later become a liability to this country,” Mr Adomako said.
“The Ministry of Education should at least carry out random tests when students return from vacation,” he added.
He further recommended extending drug testing to university students and National Service Scheme (NSS) personnel as a condition for accessing scholarships and placements in government agencies.
“We should extend it to our universities and even make it a standard before you can do your national service in any government agency. We need to test your blood and ensure you’re not engaging in the use of hard drugs because it is destroying our future,” he stressed.
