Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has asserted that the government is doing some "election mathematics" by restoring the allowances of nursing trainees.
President John Dramani Mahama, on Tuesday announced that his administration will restore scrapped allowances of trainee nurses.
He also revealed that new trainee nurses who are yet to be put on the students loan scheme will be placed on the cancelled nurses allowance scheme.
This is in spite of his (President Mahama's) earlier assertions that his administration was not going to restore the allowance even if it meant the NDC losing the 2016 election.
According to the president, a technical committee set up to review allowances for nursing trainees has recommended payment of an abated allowance with a possibility to migrate them onto the Students Loan Scheme.
Addressing trainee nurses as part of his five day campaign tour in the Brong Ahafo region, he said; “the committee recommended that since we are yet to amend the law to put our nursing and midwifery students on the students loan scheme, we should also put them on the allowance.”
The allowances were withdrawn a few years back after government complained they limited intake by nursing training institutions. It was further argued that it was unfair for nursing and teacher trainees to receive allowances when other tertiary students didn’t enjoy same.
It was however, met with much resistance from some students who rely on the allowances to support themselves in school.
The opposition New Patriotic Party also waded into the fray.
Running mate to the NPP's Flagbearer, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, in reiterating the party's position to restore the allowances for trainee nurses and teachers when voted into power, said governtment's decision to scrap them was senseless and imposed needless hardships on students and parents.
Since the withdrawal, the government has been praising itself for taking a prudent decision which resulted in an exponential growth in enrollment figures at nursing and teacher training schools across the country, thereby expanding access nursing and teacher training.
But it appears the agitations borne fruit with the setting up of a committee to advise on a more favorable resolution for the trainee nurses.
Per the committee’s recommendation, 34,500 students who are currently pursuing various levels of health professional training across the country will receive a payment of GHc 150 a month.
Speaking to the issue on PeaceFM's "Kokrokoo" Wednesday, the senior journalist said; “It’s clear-cut that there’s some election mathematics going on…when your message is no loud and clear, it’s not clear. When it’s clumsy, that’s what happens; no coherence."
Staring Defeat In The Face?
Another co-panelist on the show, Kwamena Duncan, who is the Central Regional Secretary of the NPP, opined that the decision smacks of a government growing increasingly desperate to win over voters.
He held strongly that the move is simply to pander to the public in order to secure votes for the elections.
Questioning the logic in government's decision to scrap the allowances a couple of years ago and reintroduced them barely two months to a general election, Kwamena Duncan urged Ghanaians, particularly nurses, not to fall for the tricks of the Mahama administration.
“...it is so clear; so obvious. There’s no doubt about it…I am telling you they’re seeing defeat looking them in the face. And that is why they’re doing all the things that they’re doing but it is already gone. As for the NDC's case, it is no longer tenable,” he stated.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi /Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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WE THE NURSES KNOWS BETTER AND MAHAMA CANT THROW DUST INTO OUR EYES HE MUST GO WHETHER RESTORATION OF ALLOWANCE OR NOT MAHAMA KINGDOM MUST FALL.
Hahahaha,machweee, this is clear manifestation of indecisive and incompetent person,this description fits the president well. for your information, Mr Pres you ve lost trust of well meaning Ghanaians.Am a student nurse, we ve already made up our minds to vote against come December 7
CAN SOMEONE COMPELS THE PRESIDENT TO A DOG WHO ONLY VOMITS AND GOES BACK TO LICK? HOPE ALL STUDENT NURSES AND TEACHER TRAINEES WILL SNUB MAHAMA COME DECEMBER,FOR HE IS INCONSISTENT TO BE TRUSTED.I ASSURE YOU VOTING FOR HIM WILL SEE HIM GOING BACK TO LICK HIS VOMIT.MAHAMA WAS A LIAR BY BIRTH AND CONTINUE TO BE SO TILL HE DIES SO FRIENDS BE CAREFUL WITH WHAT HE SAYS.
What's going on? Those of us outside Ghana access Kookrokoo online. Since September 26, we've not been able to access it. Why?
JM SAID RESTORING THE TEACHER TRAINEES ALLOWNCE WILL NOT HAPPEN IF EVEN IT WILL COST HIM HIS 2ND TERM AND NOT TRAINEE NURSES ALLOWANCES. LIARS LIKE U KB.
Ii Indeed the laws has not been amended then on what basis was the allowance scrap? could the scraping have deem illegal? few years ago this very allowance was scrap only to be restored two months to election. clearly this is calculated attempt by JM to hoodwink trainee nurses into voting for him. i thought i heard him saying he would not restore trainee allowance even if it would cost him the election? Trainee nurses dont be deceive ooo wise up.
In one of his speeches during his visit in the Western region, he stated: "I hear Opana(Nana Addo) and his NPP saying they will restore the trainee- nurses and teachers allowances. This is not possible and doable.The cancellation of the allowances is an avenue to increase enrollment in colleges. The NPP cannot restore the nurses and teacher-trainees allowances. Where will Nana Addo, Bawumia and the NPP get the money to undertake such a ***barred word*** ventures?" The president further went on to chastise the NPP, saying: "If the NPP has nothing better to say then they should not distract me from working. If the scrapping of the allowances will let me to lose this election then I AM READY TO LOSE THE ELECTION THAN RESTORING THE ALLOWANCES."
Mahama is a moron
UNDERSTAND MATHEMATICS BEFORE HE CAN TALK ABOUNT MATHS. SLOWLY, DOGS ARE EATING HIS OLD DOCUMENTS WHICH HE HAS STORED AS HISTORY REFERENCE. WE TIRED OF HIS GARBA.GE ON THE MEDIA. FRANKLY, KWEKU BAAKO IS INCOMPE.TENT AND SHOULD SHU.T UP. HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY GOOD ANALYSIS TO PROVIDE. HE LACKS PROPER VOCABULARY SO HE HAS MEMORIZED FEW OF THEM LIKE LAKUNA IN LAW AND INTERCEPT WHICH HE USES INCOMPETEN.LY WHEN HE IS JAMMED. WE RATE HIM ON OVERALL AS INCOMPETEN.T
THE PRESIDENT SAID HE WILL NOT RESTORE TRAINEE TEACHER ALLOWANCES. HAS HE RESCINDED HIS DECISION ON THAT??? TRAINEE NURSES WILL BE MIGRATED ONTO THE STUDENTS LOAN SCHEME NEXT YEAR WHEN ACT 820 IS AMENDED. KWEKU BAAKO PLEASE HELP YOUR NON EXISTENT CPP AND LEAVE JDM ALONE!!