The Vice President’s intention to score political points at a Youth Connect programme in the Bono East region Thursday, May 09, 2024, fell flat after the government was exposed by a nursing student over the non-payment of nursing trainee allowance for three years.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia had condemned the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for cancelling the allowance for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to restore it.
Speaking to the students, the NPP flag bearer admonished them to “follow people who have vision. We don’t have to follow people who think in terms of impossibility. We think in terms of possibilities. When my opponent was in government, he abolished the nursing trainee allowances and we said we will restore the nursing trainee allowances and we have restored the nursing trainee allowances. Can you trust my opponent with the nursing trainee allowances? You cannot.”
Events turned different for the Vice President when the floor was opened for questioning and answering.
A nursing student from the Techiman Krobo Nursing and Midwifery Training College asked when her allowance, popularly referred to as ‘allawa’, was going to be paid. The young lady said she was in her final year and had not received a pesewa as allowance since she began schooling.
“When are we getting allawa? Since first year, I have not gotten allawa and I’m in my last semester now and some of us have not been able to pay our school fees. Next week we will be writing our exams. Those who would not be able to pay their fees would be sacked. They wouldn’t be allowed to write exams. So if the allawa was given to us, they would have been able to pay their fees. So my question is, when are we going to get allawa?” the young lady quizzed the Vice President.
For his response, Dr. Bawumia said he wasn’t sure of the state of the payment of allowances and was going to consult the Finance Ministry to avert the challenge.
“I think that that is the question I will take to the Ministry of Finance. I wasn’t sure where you were with your allawa but I think that I will check with the Ministry of Finance immediately I return and I will make sure that they pay you your allawa if it has not been paid. I will push it for you,” Dr. Bawumia noted.
Dr. Bawumia’s visit to the Bono East region was part of his nationwide campaign tour.
Nursing trainee allowances likely to be paid next week – Bawumia
