School of Hygiene students unhappy with 10-months allowance arrears clearance

Students of the School of Hygiene have expressed their discontentment with the decision of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to pay 10 months allowance of financial clearance out their three-year backlog of allowances.

In an exclusive interview with Univers News, President of the Students Representative Council (SRC) of the Ghana School of Hygiene, Korle Bu, Freeheart Owusu Ampomah said the move by the Ministry of Finance was not part of the initial agreement it had with the Sanitation Ministry.

"The issue has to do with the allowance…if you’re in the final year you’re supposed to receive 30 months and the 30 months is Ghc12, 000.00. But the clearance indicates that they’re paying 10 months to each of the students of which wasn’t part of the initial agreement the Sanitation Ministry had with the Ministry of Finance”, he bemoaned.

School of Hygiene students in August this year picketed the Sanitation Ministry over their unpaid arrears.

Progress has since been made as the leadership of the agitated students met with the Ministry of Finance today Monday, September 7, 2020, to follow up on the clearance of the allowances.

Mr. Owusu Ampomah indicated that the Director of Budget of the Finance Ministry has signed a warrant to be attached to the clearance forms to the controller to pay the allowances.

“They directed us to the Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance and they told us to wait to engage the Director. After we waited behind, they told us the Director had signed a warrant which was supposed to be attached to the clearance for the controller to pay the allowance,” he said.

Officials at the Sanitation Ministry have since assured the leadership of the School of Hygiene students that this issue will be addressed during the Ministry’s budget meeting on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.