Delayed allowance is better than cancelled allowance’ – NAPO to trainee nurses

Vice Presidential candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, has assured trainee nurses that the government is working to prevent delays in the payment of their allowances. He has urged the nurses to choose the NPP government since it has their interest at heart. Speaking to trainee nurses at the Korle Bu Nursing and Midwifery training school on Wednesday, October 24, 2024, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also referred to as NAPO, stated that the opposition NDC does not have the interest of nurses at heart.

According to him, when the former President cancelled the allowance for the nursing and teacher trainees, he promised to replace it with a feeding grant but failed to supply the funds until he (NAPO) became Education Minister and paid. Addressing their concerns, he reemphasised his commitment to ensuring that their allowances are allocated promptly.

“One of the things I was clear about in the 2020 elections was that we will restore the nursing training allowances they cancelled. And we have restored the nursing training allowances,” he stated.

Despite admitting that the payment of the allowance was delayed, he said measures were in place to ensure it is paid on time. This was after the trainee nurses have raised concerns that their allowance has been irregular. He stated that he is hopeful the government will eradicate the issue of delayed payment of allowances for trainee nurses in the country. “There may be delays, but allowances delayed are better than allowances cancelled,” he stated.

He chastised the former President and flag bearer of the opposition NDC, giving reasons why the nurses should not vote for him.

“He introduced a feeding grant after cancelling the allowance. I was the Minister who came to pay all the feeding grants because he didn’t pay. He told teachers that if they couldn’t buy chalk themselves, they should stop teaching, he couldn’t pay allowance, he couldn’t put the lights on, would you hand over the country back to him? He is telling us he is taking the country back.

“There is always a President of a moment. He said Gas doesn’t need digitalisation. He said we can’t eat digitalisation so when he comes he will cancel the MoMo because the allowance is paid through digitalisation,” he stated.

By: Felix Anim-Appau