Police Moves To Clear Nurses From Picketing At Flagstaff House (PHOTOS)

The Accra Regional Police Command has moved in to prevent some unemployed nurses and midwives from picketing at the Flagstaff House in Accra.

The group, made up of psychiatric nurses, enrolled nurses, midwives, general nurses and community nurses, completed their training in 2013 and 2014 but have since been neglected by the Ministry of Health.

About 40 of the 5,000 members of the group gathered Monday morning at the seat of government to put pressure on the government until they are given a firm commitment of employment or employed into service.

But the Police has prevented them from getting close to the Flagstaff House at Kanda on grounds that the venue is a security zone aside the fact that the leadership of the group did not inform the Police about the picketing. The Police has currently cordoned off the Flagstaff House, but the nurses and midwives have vowed not to leave until their grievances are address. They are currently gathered held up at the bus stop opposite the Flagstaff House.
DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohunu, the Accra Regional Police who briefly addressed the crowd has since gone to the Flagstaff House.

The Public Relations Officer of the Health Ministry, Tony Goodman who arrived at the scene to speak to the nurses and midwives was not given an audience and had to drive away, TV3 reporter, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi reported.

Spokesperson for the group which operate under the banner Coalition of Unemployed Nurses and Midwives, Nicholas Mensah Otoo told tv3network.com that the Minister of Employment and Labour, Haruna Iddrisu has called them to his office for discussion but the members have refused to go.

According to him, the members want the minister to come to them at the Flagstaff House for whatever discussion he would want to have, but said "we are still convincing them if they will let us go".

Source: tv3network.com