'Nation Builders' protest delayed 'allowances'
Some beneficiaries of the government’s Nation Builders Corps (NABCo) programme on Thursday hit the streets to protest a delay in the payment of their allowances.
They marched from the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and ended the march at Independence Square where their leaders addressed them.
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Their concerns are that, some of their allowances are in arrears for close to six months.
Besides, they argue that the three exit strategies for the programme, are not working.
The three exit strategies are they being maintained in various institutions as permanent employees, being sent back to school or given support to start their own businesses.
In all these three exit plans, they said the government has not been forthcoming with answers.
The hundreds of the protesters held placards through the principal streets in Accra.
Below is a copy of a petition they presented
BENEFICIARIES OF THE NATION BUILDERS CORPS (NABCO) POST OFFICE BOX AT 800 ACHIMOTA
EMAIL: [email protected]
DATE: 17TH FEBRUARY, 2022.
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF NATION BUILDERS CORPS (NABCO) DR. IBRAHIM ANY ARSDear Sir,
PETITION FOR IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION OF ARREARS IN THE NABCO SCHEME AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAREER PATHWAYIt's so sad to inform your outfit that after our three solid years tussle on the Nabco program, it seemingly not gelling and accomplishing the two important rationale for which it was created, which was proposed to:
- Alleviating the unemployed graduates from poverty and extreme hardships. Although, We the NABCO Trainees descriptively seem to be engaged in white-color jobs but realistically, our hardship situation remains unchanged. Since the program inception, the habitual delays in monthly stipends payment and arrears stagger in the scheme has worsen our situation rendering us highly indebted, and handicap.
- Incubating graduates for future opportunities in our corporate institutions. We have acquired the requisite employability skills. Yet still, we are being exposed to the factual jobs crisis of the nation and accustomed discriminations in the access of job opportunities in our corporate institutions. Again, government's promise to integrate beneficiaries into the permanent mainstream works which is anchored to the objectives of the scheme is
trembled by a reneged decision to rather migrate all beneficiaries into a YouStart entrepreneurship program which the scheme was never encapsulated to prepare all Trainees for such challenge.- Our PLEA
We hereby appeal to government as a matter of urgency:
1. Pay all outstanding arrears from 2019 up to date. Eleven months arrears of Heal Ghana Nurses and isolated Trainees in other modules be paid. We also demand that, the remaining 3 months arrears for all beneficiaries which comprise November, December 2021 and January 2022 must be paid to foster a uniform payment stream of the scheme.2. We demand that the government officially communicates to us development(s) concerning the career pathway transition and as a matter of fact specify a timeline for the full implementation of the process. We are eagerly demanding from the current government to honor its pre-election promise of integrating beneficiaries into the permanent mainstream Works, resource selected Trainees into entrepreneurship and cushioning those who opted for further studies.
3. We demand an official renewal of the term of reference of Nabco Trainees that explicitly states the duration which we would have to be at post until permanent arrangement referenced to the Communique issued by NABCO secretariat dated 15th November, 2021.
In addition, we the current cohorts based on our experience wish to recommend to government that, any planned decision to enroll new cohorts be halted and the program must be reviewed toaccommodate:
1 A Full scale research and scouting for agencies and opportunities that will offer technical, vocational and practical internship to future beneficiaries who will be equipped after the 3years to meet the demands of the job environment and also equipped them to create their own businesses even when immediate employment opportunities aren't available for them after the contract.
2. The government to reconsider the program's funding and its affordability capacity in terms of:
a. the number of recruits who can be employed and adequately taken care of without being subjected to severe distress and frustrations suffered by the current cohorts due to irregular payment of stipends.
b. Securing a formidable fund base that beneficiaries can easily access credit facilities during their internship or immediately after the contract to man their own ventures.
3. Creation of Entrepreneurship as a module or revision of other modules with MIPs consultations that will drive potential beneficiaries into avenues to prepare them to be prospective entrepreneurs for jobs creation. For instance, instead of Trainees being assigned to Agric ministry under Feed Ghana Module to distribute fertilizers, they can be deployed into specific crops production and animal husbandry.
4 Eradication of some modules or curtailing the number of recruits in some modules like educate Ghana which offers limited opportunities for beneficiaries after their internship.
5. Ratification of the scheme by a Legislative Instrument that will foster orderly auditing. assessment, monitoring and effective evaluation of the activities and the performance of the scheme.
We the beneficiaries of the Nation Builders Corps solemnly appeal to government to heed to our request and kindly consider the recommendations in this Petition.
Thank you.
Cc:-
The President of The Republic, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo.
His Excellency The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Honorable Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare
Frank Ouansah
Secretary (Beneficiary of The Nation Builders Corps)
Tel: 0209902847
Nana Yaw Tachie
Public Relations Officer (Beneficiary of The Nation Builders Corps)
Nana Berimah Asamogh
Patron (Beneficiary of he Nation Builders Corps)
