Hot Audio: 'By God’s grace you have come, now pay the trainees' - Mahama jabs Akufo-Addo

Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on the Akufo-Addo government to fulfill its promises to teacher trainees and nursing students by paying the allowances owed them.

Mr Mahama made the call when he addressed delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ada on Friday, November 2, to wrap up his five-day campaign tour of the Greater Accra Region.

He said prior to the 2016 general elections, the NDC administration explained to the students that it was better to shift them onto the students’ loan scheme in order to use the extra money to build more schools and hospitals to enable government provide them with sustainable jobs.

But then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) criticised the decision and promised to pay the teacher trainees and nursing students allowances when elected.

“By God’s grace you have come, now pay the trainees. You promised and so you must fulfill it. Promises are meant to be fulfilled and so the teacher trainee allowances, the nursing training allowances, you promised that you will pay, so go ahead and pay, he said.

Former President Mahama also bemoaned the congestion in many Senior High Schools (SHS) as a result of the poor implementation of the Free Senior High School programme, citing overcrowding in dormitories and its attendant bed bugs problems in particular.

He has, therefore, appealed to the government to fumigate dormitories in order to bring relief to the suffering students. On the double track system, Mr Mahama asked: “what will parents be doing with their children at home on vacation for 41 days of vacation?” 

He added that parents are likely to pay more for extra tuition for their children when they go on vacation from schools next week.