Pay us now or we demonstrate - Former YEA beneficiaries

Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has been given until the end of November to settle all outstanding arrears owned a group calling itself the Aggrieved Beneficiaries of YEA lest they embark on a nationwide demonstration.

The former beneficiaries, whose tenure of service ended in July this year, lamented that the YEA has failed to pay them their allowances for about nine months.

They added that all efforts to get their allowances paid have proved futile.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to Citi News’ Nii Armah Ammah expressed frustration at the failure of the YEA to address their concerns despite their complaints.

“They still haven't paid our allowance and they still haven't paid our providence fund. It has been very frustrating. When you call YEA, they don't pick up, when they pick up, they talk to you anyhow,” one affected beneficiary said.

“I will not advise anyone to enroll under the YEA policy based on my experience, It has been very rough,” another added.

The convenor of the group, Nicholas Anum, said they would stage a nationwide protest if the YEA doesn't pay their arrears by the end of the month.

“We are giving them up to the close of this month. If by the close of this month they don’t come up with anything we will go on a nationwide demonstration,” he said.

The Director for Corporate Affairs at the YEA, Kwesi Afriyie has, however, assured the affected beneficiaries that they will soon be paid.

He said the YEA was paying the former beneficiaries their exit packages in batches, with the next batch of payments expected to be made by Wednesday.

“The exit package is working according to plan. The plan is that there are so many beneficiaries we are supposed to pay, especially those who are exiting and so we are paying them in batches. We have paid the first batch, we are expecting to pay the next batch by Wednesday they will receive their pay,” he said.

In July, some beneficiaries of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) picketed at the entrance of the YEA over unpaid allowances and unpaid exit packages for the termination of their contracts before the date provided in their appointment letters.

They alleged that months of arrears and exit packages due them had not been paid, leaving them to their fate.

According to them, Ghc45 had been deducted for their exit plan while GHc5 had been deducted for insurance.

However, they say this money had not been given to them since they ended their service.