Teacher Trainees in the Various Public Colleges of Education in the Country are aggrieved about the style used by government in paying the supposedly restored Trainees Allowances.
In a statement issued by Francis Appiah, a Teacher Trainee Activist to the President of the Republic of Ghana, and copied to EducationGhana.net ,the Trainee Activist referred government go a statement it issued during the 2016 Campaign tour and captured on myjoyonline.com as saying :: “I will restore your allowances in full” (Ghana|Myjoyonline.com
Date: 21-09-2016 Time: 07:09:45:am).
This promise according to Francis, dragged a lot of Trainees to vote for the NPP government hoping that things will get better.
“H. E. Dr. Bawumia, the then Running Mate who is also an economist on countless occasions made same promises”He said.
The activist looking at a justification of his article, explained, :
First, what does the word “full” mean? “Full”, according to Oxford dictionary means: “containing or holding as much or as many as possible; having no empty space”.
“Indeed, on the10th of October, 2017, our parents, the media, and the whole nation was made aware that the government has restored in *“full”* the Trainees Allowances of which to my best of Knowledge was not the case. The NDC government paid GHC 460.00 per (prospective) month for each student and also paid the arrears. All beneficiaries received as high as GHC12, 000.00 and GHC 8,400.00 each respectively depending on which level each student was (retrospectively).” he lamented.
“Half a loaf they say is better than none as the adage goes. Students did not complain. We were made aware after voting for the NPP that: each student will be paid an amount of GHC 400.00, we accepted that in good fate, unlike the old system where students were given forms to fill in school, we were instructed to go through a whole lot of stress to get registered starting from SSNIT registration, E-ZWCH, NHIS validation etc. Students could pick up a car to different places to meet these requirements ( risk and cost involved).” he reiterated.
He also spoke about the stress they were made to go through before been registered for the allowances, of which the allowances were never restored in full.
“Good better best, may I never rest… As the poet may rattle, we waited patiently until 10th October 2017 when we received GHC 400.00 loaded on our E-ZWCH cards after which upon withdrawal, we received GHC 397.00. Hmmm…again, we did not complain. ”
“Why were we made to provide bank account in the first place? still Half a loaf is better than none . We kept it like that,on November 14th 2017 we received another GHC397.00 and that has been the last time of hearing from these full restoration of the Allowance. Two good months now, no allowances are paid to any student. Now, our parents are confused, whether to believe we the students or the government as to who is speaking the truth.” he questioned.
He thereby urge the President of the Republic of Ghana, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and any other stake holder to come out to answer Ghanaians on the following:
1. Why they partially paid the Said full restoration of the Allowance?
2. Why 2014/2015 year group of trainees were denied from benefiting from their toil and still struggling to get paid for their internship Allowance?
3. Last but not the least, why two months allowances has been delayed prior to mandatory clinical attachment?
He concluded by disassociating the write from political propaganda and entreated the general public to it as grievance.
“To conclude, I must cautioned that, this write up should not be treated as propaganda drifted piece from any political affiliate but should be treated as a grievance from a concerned citizen but not a spectator of our dear country mother Ghana.” he concluded.
Source :EducationGhana.net