NDC sympathizes with picketing nurses – Murtala Mohammed

Former Deputy Minister of Trade, Murtala Ibrahim Mohammed on behalf of the opposition the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sympathized with the situation of some unposted nurses who are picketing at the Health Ministry.

At least 200 graduate nurses have since yesterday besieged the premises of the Ministry of Health to demand posting to work in health facilities across the country.

The graduates said several appeals to the Ministry for employment after they completed school in 2016, have not yielded results.

They said they have been idling at home for the past two years after successfully leaving school and completing their mandatory national service.

Picketing at the Health Ministry to demand employment has become a common phenomenon for various health professionals in the country especially in the last one year.

In the run- up to the 2016 general elections, the restoration or otherwise of nurses trainee allowances became a topical debate with the then opposition leader (now president), Nana Akufo-Addo bemoaning the cancellation of the nurses allowance, describing the John Mahama administration as insensitive to the plight of nurses.

The NPP upon assumption of power has since restored the allowances which is currently in arrears for almost three months.

Speaking to host of the Gold Power Drive, Samuel Eshun, the former Minister of Trade, Murtala Ibrihim Mohammed, insisted the unposted nurses were hoodwinked by the NPP government to vote them in the 2016 elections after they vehemently kicked against the cancellation of the nurses trainee allowance by the NDC government.

Even though Mr. Murtala Mohammed shares in the pain of the nurses, he is of the view that they deserve the treatment they are getting from the government.

“In another breath, I will tell them to shut up and enjoy their ride. This were the same nurses who said they were comfortable with the so-called promise to restore the allowances and when we pointed out that they were going to suffer the consequences, they felt that the peanut thrown out to them was enough and therefore they couldn’t bother.”

“How irrational could it be that you are given allowances yet when you complete school you don’t have a job? The NDC was not taken away the allowances. The NDC was replacing it with a kind of a loan scheme that more students could benefit but they said no they want the allowances”, he said.