Veep Amissah-Arthur defends gov’t decision to withdraw teachers’, nurses’ allowance

Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has strongly defended government’s decision to withdraw teachers and nurses trainee allowances. 

He said the withdrawal has not only increased enrollment but also enabled government to re-invest the money in infrastructure and equipment to enhance teaching and learning. 

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said this when he jointly inaugurated members of the Tertiary Education Institution Network of the NDC at the Nalerigu Nursing and Midwifery College and the Gambaga College of Education at Nalerigu in the Northern Region. 

He said it was a difficult but necessary decision taken by government and urged the students not to think about their immediate comfort but also the future the Mahama government wants create for generations yet unborn. 

Radio Ghana’s Seth Eyiah, reports that, Vice President Amissah-Arthur used the interaction with students of nursing and midwifery and colleges of education to explain to them government’s policies and programs for the education sector, especially the vexed issue of their allowances which have been swapped with student loan. 

The interaction with the students was the third in a series with the previous two being at the Fosu College of Education in the Central Region and the nursing and midwifery and colleges of education in the Upper East Region in Bolgatanga. 

Though the students shouted for the return of their allowances, he explained that the nursing and midwifery colleges and colleges of education are now tertiary and the principle and practice in the country has been that students in tertiary institutions finance their education through the SSNIT student loan scheme and now the Student Loan Trust. 

Mr. Amissah-Arthur said they are also the only tertiary graduates who are guaranteed employment by government. 

He therefore urged the students not to think only of their comfort today but also appreciate the investments government is putting into their training to enable them to equally work in Ghana and abroad as well. 

The Vice President said the investments are also for expansion to increase access for all Ghanaians today and the future generations.

Mr. Amissah-Arthur informed members of the TEIN that the NDC as a Social Democratic political party believes in education as the only way of unleashing the God-given talent of everybody and not a privileged few. 

It is for this reason that “Putting People First” is one of the four pillars underpinning the NDC’s 2016 manifesto. 

He therefore, urged them to live by the ideology of the party and take their training very seriously.

The Patron of the Nalerigu Nursing and Midwifery College branch of TEIN, Kwaku Agyeman Duah, thanked government for the numerous infrastructural projects it has undertaken in the college. 

He said they have improved teaching and learning tremendously.

The Vice Chairman and Director of Elections of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo swore in the executives and charged them together with their members to work hard for the victory of the party in the December 7 election.
                                        

GBC