The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), President John Mahama has said his government would not backtrack on its decision to scrap teacher trainee allowances saying he would rather lose the elections than restore the allowances.
President Mahama on Thursday tweeted saying: “On the matter of trainee teacher allowances, better to lose on principle than win using falsehood. We’ll not reverse the decision. #UCC Forum.”
He is on a campaign tour of the Central Region.
The President and his ministers have been adamant that government will not restore the teacher trainee allowances even if it means losing the upcoming elections.
On the matter of trainee teacher allowances, better to lose on principle than win using falsehood. We’ll not reverse the decision. #UCC Forum
— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) September 8, 2016
Government scrapped teacher trainee allowance in 2014 in a move that was met with stiff opposition from trainee teachers who went as far as demonstrations to compel government to reintroduce the allowances.
Government explained that the policy of trainee allowances was to be replaced by a student loan scheme which was available for all degree awarding institutions.
The decision according to government was also to allow an increase in the number of trainees admitted into various training colleges in the country.
Teacher trainees subsequently vowed to vote against the NDC government if it failed to restore the payment of their allowances before the 2016 general elections.
On the other hand, the Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, on his recent campaign tour of the Northern Region promised that he will restore the allowance should he win power.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana