Students of the Ghana School of Hygiene at Korle Bu, Ho and Tamale yesterday picketed the premises of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources demanding their unpaid training allowances which they say has accumulated over 30 months.
They wore red armbands, held placards with inscriptions” Allawa is our right as health students”, “Mr. President where is our Allawa”, and “We need our Allawa”. They also chanted and vowed not to leave the premises until they received their accumulated allowances.
To demonstrate their eagerness, they brought in their mattresses, clothing and some food, to indicate their preparedness for an enduring campaign. The Police were present at the premises to ensure a peaceful demonstration.
According to the protesting students, each student was supposed to receive GHC12,000 as the accumulated monthly allowance of 400 Cedis for 30 months.
The Director in Charge of Finance and Administration at the Ministry, Joseph Amoah, who addressed the students informed them that processes are underway to facilitate payment of their allowances.
The students said they were not pleased with the response, because according to the National Chairman of the Coalition of Hygiene Students, Raymond Anokye they had engaged the Ministry on multiple occasions and had been told that a Committee was to be set up to fast-track the processing of their allowances, but to no avail.