According to the Coalition of NABCO Trainees Association, the Akufo-Addo’s government is not being honest with them.
They want the government to be transparent about its capacity and intentions for administering the scheme, and if the government believes it will be unable to continue, they want a peaceful and honest exit for all NABCO trainees.
On Monday 30 May 2022, Nana Barima Asamoah, patron of the Coalition of NABCO Trainees Association, said in an interview on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show, “The coalition’s opinion is that the government is just being cowardly.” It is past time for the government to be forthright with the public and take a clear position on NABCO. We’re pleading with the government to speak up.
He complained to host Alfred Ocansey that the situation of NABCO Trainees’ engagement on the scheme is not equivalent to any legal regime because there are no clear terms of reference, and that trainees just submitted their engagement letters on ‘it’s my Portal’ without any proper contract.
The Coalition of NABCO Trainees bemoans the fact that all attempts to obtain information from the secretariat regarding when the government intends to pay the trainees have been ineffective, giving the government till June 10th to pay all outstanding GHS 4900 arrears.
“We were informed by the national secretariat in November 2021 to stay at post. Since last year November we have been at post, we have been working assiduously but the problem is that since that time up to date, we have not received any stipend” Barima Asamoah complained
He added that meanwhile, the economy is getting tougher every day with the current hike in prices of goods and services. It is a hell for us to live under this kind of condition. Working for seven months without pay in this hectic, drastic economy is too difficult.
On whether the Coalition has the backing of the trainees, Barima Asamoah said “We the NABCO trainees are graduates of principles and we are going to embark on a massive and precedent demonstration. Initially some of the NABCO trainees did not buy into the civil actions we were embarking on but the realities of the increasing hardships have made those trainees who were blinded by party politics are awake and willing to display their pleasure”.
