Payment of allowances is not just to keep promises; it is also to help the ‘needy’ – Akosua Manu

Akosua Manu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), has stated that the payment of allowances to teacher trainees in the country is a commitment kept by the Akufo-Addo government.

She stated that the payment is not being made simply to fulfill a campaign promise. Rather, it is provided based on feedback from those who rely on it about its impact.

“It is easy to dismiss [the payment of allowances] on the basis of, it is not necessary to give somebody a stipend or allowances,” she said on the New Day show on TV3 with Johnnie Hughes on Thursday April 21. However, you will notice that the background of the people who go into these teacher training programs, some of them are left with no choice that this is an option and that you may or may not have a passion for it.

“Let us not forget that allowances became a hot topic in the run-up to the election, with promises made to us, and even to nurses, that we would make every effort to meet that demand.” It’s not so much a promise that we want to keep as it is feedback on the impact of those things on the people who benefit from them.”

On Wednesday, April 20, the Ghanaian government released a sum of 67 million to Ghanaian colleges of education.

This comes after the National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education – Ghana (PRINCOF) stated that it would be unable to continue feeding trainees due to the government’s massive debts.

On Wednesday, April 20, Education Minister Dr. Adutwum told a press conference in Accra, “I am very happy to inform you that government has released 67, 942, 652 to Colleges of Education.” As you may have seen in the media, there were numerous requests for us to respond to PRINCOF’s concerns. We want to inform the country that the President of the Republic, the Finance Minister, and all those who have worked tirelessly to ensure that various promises made to Colleges of Education are fulfilled have done so. That is why this amount has been made available to educational colleges.”

In an earlier letter sent to the Minister of Education on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, the Executive Secretary of PRINCOF, Dr. Harriet Naki Amui, directed that teacher trainees begin funding their own feeding on May 8 if funds are not made available.

This directive was necessary as a result of Colleges of Education’s inability to pay for food items supplied to them.

According to the statement, food suppliers continued to deliver supplies to these Colleges of Education for months without payment, but they have now withdrawn their services until they are paid.

“Most colleges now have food items that can only last one week if students are given three (3) meals a day,” PRINCOF explained.

As a result, the PRINCOF statement made the four proposals listed below, which go into effect on April 23.

“Trainee teachers will be provided with two meals, breakfast and supper only for one week, from April 23 to April 30, 2022, that trainee teachers will be given lunch only from May 1 to May 8, 2022, that trainee teachers will be asked to provide their own meals after May 8, that trainee teachers will be asked to provide their own meals until their feeding allowances have been paid, and finally, “food vendors will be encouraged to increase the quantity of daily meals they cook for sale to students.”

According to the statement, “all of these measures are intended to ensure that the academic calendar is not disrupted.”