The Collation of Concerned Nurses and Midwives Trainee (CCNMT) has issued a strong statement in response to the recent comments by H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President and Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), regarding the restoration and consistent payment of trainees’ allowances.
While the Vice President has asserted the government’s commitment to restoring and maintaining these allowances, the reality paints a different picture.
READ ALSO: Dr. Bawumia speaks on the payment of trainees’ allowances
According to CCNMT, as of May 2024, glaring arrears exist across various batches of trainees:
- The 2017 batch is owed one month of arrears, with trainees who completed in 2020 still waiting for their rightful payments.
- The 2018 batch is owed three months of arrears, affecting trainees who completed in 2021.
- The 2019 batch is owed four months of arrears, with trainees who completed in 2022 yet to receive their due payments.
- The 2020 batch is facing the most severe delay, with a staggering fifteen months of arrears owed to trainees who completed in 2023.
- The 2021 batch, currently in their 3rd year, are owed 27 months of arrears. Those in 2-year courses are owed 17 months. Trainees in these batches are set to complete their training in less than a month, yet they still await payment of these accumulated debts.
- The 2022 batch is estimated to be owed 16 months of arrears as of May 2024.
- The 2023 batch, which is slated to complete in 2026, is already owed nine months of arrears
They also revealed that approximately 30% of trainees have never received any allowances at all.
Even after completing their training, these trainees have not been given any assurance or arrangement for the payment of their arrears.
The coalition stressed that the non-payment of the allowances has resulted in dire financial situations for these hardworking students
READ ALSO: Here are the reasons for the delay in the payment of trainees’ allowance
The CCNMT has therefore called on the government to prioritize the payment of the arrears and ensure that such delays do not occur in the future.
