My take on the restoration of the nurses training allowances

There is a saying in my local, dialect that "you don't remove the ladder that aided you to climb the tree, surely your brother will also need to use it to climb or you will need it when coming down".

It appears to Ghanaians that this John Mahama and his administration have bitten the hand that once fed most of them. How on earth will anybody in their right senses ever imagine of scrapping these training allowances in the first place?

Not more to talk of even northern president who should have known better how those allowances help us the poor students up north.

It beats my wildest imagination that these training allowances that once aid our brothers and sisters at the nursing and teaching training colleges to buy basic needs and other necessary materials such as provisions, Soap, first aided etc.

It was not for nothing at all that prompted Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to institute these allowances for our trainees at the colleges. And previous administration has followed it to the latter.

It was use as a footing ground for our poor but brilliant students to climb the academic ladder to achieve academic laurels.

it was also used as an insensitive to entice committed and dedicated personnel to man those fields i.e. teaching and nursing, just to mention a few.

What was the rational behind the scrapping of the allowances in the first place? I shudder to think that, it was either due to government wickedness and insensitivity to the plight of the brilliant but poor students especially those coming from the president backyard (northerners). Or to borrow the finance minister statement 'the meat is eating to the bone as he alluded in 2014 budget'.

In other word the current government budgets for the past eight years has been thrown out of gear. If it was that, the government was wicked and insensitive to the plight of the poor but brilliant student then what has suddenly change?

Is it because we are approaching an election that has necessitated this knee-jerk reaction just to win this impending election and re-scrap it again? On the other hand, if it was also that government has through dubious ways and means misappropriated resources that partly will have use to pay this allowances.

A classic example is the SADA (savanna accelerated development authority) profanity, GYEEDA scandal, Woyome butty, smarty’s bus branding saga, GRA SUBAH questionable deal, AMERI (Africa and middle east resources investment) villainy, bloated Kasoa interchange contract, inflated ridge hospital project etc. Either way goes to confirm the notion that this current administration is corrupt and is not capable of managing Ghanaians affairs.

All this corruption deals put together and well invested will have been able to pay students allowances for a generation. We are at were we are because of bad policies and governance by this NDC administration, and to add salt to injuries this administration have demonstrated times without number that, there is no end in sight as far as these misappropriation and incompetency is concern.

Day-in-day-out there emerges new scandals and revelations, the ordinary poor Ghanaians are left with no other option that to resign to their fate, and keep on hoping that Insha Allah the will emerge a new Moses who will set them free from this Pharaoh, and will lead them to the promise land.

The most insulting aspect of the whole allowances saga is that the president of the republic through his minister of a health has decided to give the ordinary Nurse false hope to hang to. Leaving the teacher trainees to their fate, without knowing what the future holds for them.

John Mahama and his NDC administration are now trying to hoodwink (swindle) Ghanaian into believing that they will restore the nurses allowances, what about the teacher trainees? I understand the frustration and desperation of President Mahama and his government.

Having stubbornly stopped the policy; they are clearly in the bad books of the student. And because we are nearing elections especially when Akufo-Addo has strongly and consistently assured Ghanaians that the teachers and nurses trainee allowances will be re-introduced in the next NPP government.

Falsehood, deception and propaganda are NDC trademark. The President is wholly desperate to cling on to power, having pointedly failed to lead our country honestly and efficiently. Thank God the Nurses have decided Never again to settle for Mediocrity. For their information, they are worth more than this skimpy (meagre) GHC150. Let even assumed without admitting that the nurses had settled for this Peanut (GHC150), let subject the Ghc150 to the Effect of Inflation.

Though in real terms they will have been receiving GHC150, but in Nominal terms is not up to GHC150. I will like to assure the ordinary teacher and nurse at the training colleges that, they shouldn't loose hope. They have the power and authority to effect positive change through their thumps, that will bring back their much awaited allowances that has keep on giving them nightmares through no fault of theirs.

We Ghanaians are saying in uniformity, we will no more settle for any mediocrity. We have resolved that, matching forward we shall never allow ourselves to be toy with by this non-performing NDC administration. And for the fact that NDC administration has incapacitated themselves by corruption, misappropriation, maladministration, ineptitude, incompetence etc. and are not in the position to pay the trainees allowances doesn't mean that no any other serious administration is prepared and are ready to pay the allowances.

I will end by quoting the most honoured brains as far as Economics is concern in Africa (Ghana) currently, Dr. Mahamud Bawumia who said at Jasikan College of Education in Volta region and I quote "the re-instatement of the Nurses and Teachers trainees allowances is non negotiable under the able leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akkufo Addo that God willing (Insha Allahu Rabbi) Come January 2017, when Nana Addo is sworn-in as the president of the Republic of Ghana. Long live Nana Addo & Dr. Bawumia Long live Npp! Long live Ghana! IBRAHIM SULEMANA (BANKER) (0244372700) GAMBAGA.