NDC Youth Organizer Exposes Naana Agyeman Over Teachers’ Allowance

The National Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Opare Addo, has conceded that the NDC government under Mahama erred in the cancelation of teacher and nursing trainee allowances.

Mr Opare Addo stated on Joy FM that unpopular decision by the then government affected the NDC and played a part in the party’s woeful performance at the 2016 general elections.

He explained that after upgrading the training colleges to universities, the government thought it wise to scrap the allowances.

“The NDC government was spending GH¢950 on teacher trainees. And we were looking at issues of equity since they were upgraded to tertiary institutions. So we wanted to migrate them unto the student loan trust fund.”

He added that “everybody has the right to change his mind, so there’s nothing wrong if former President Mahama believes the decision was unpopular. If he comes he will restore it because it was an unpopular decision and we apologise.”

Opare Addo’s concession is a departure from the party’s running mate, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang who was the Education Minister at the time the allowance was abolished.

Prof Opoku-Agyeman when addressing a cross section of tertiary students in Bolgatanga, defended that the allowance was not cancelled but replaced with the student loan trust fund.

“I will come to a sensitive subject which I think should be dead by now. We never cancelled the teacher trainees’ allowance. Cancelling means that you have something and I came to take it away from you”.

“This is the last time I am going to talk about this because we never did that. You know very well that those who were on the loan scheme continued to enjoy it until they graduated. So we never took anything away from them,” she said.

“Today how much do you get and how much are they taking from you? Those in the training schools are crying over fees. We will be open to you. We will be honest with you. We want you to know what you are coming into. We will not lure you through the door and then begin to tell you stories,” she added.

Source: GhanaFeed.Com