Mr. Dennis Katakyie, the National President of the NABCO Trainees Association of Ghana, has disclosed that life has become miserable for the almost 30,000 beneficiaries who are owed around eight months in unpaid arrears.
He said that as president of the association, he has been receiving numerous calls from aggrieved beneficiaries on when their arrears would be paid.
Mr. Katayire remarked that he is often unable to respond to the calls and messages because he is unsure what to say.
He recognised that the NABCO project has aided in the creation of opportunities for various beneficiaries, as some have secured permanent positions and others have taken the opportunity to save money to further their education.
The initiative, he said, started with some 120,000 beneficiaries, but currently, 30,000 of them are owed eight-month arrears.
Following the numerous complaints he received, Mr. Katayire said he had to petition the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on the issue.
“I have received several calls from NABCO beneficiaries saying that life has become unbearable for them. Several of them cannot afford a three-square meal. Others are unable to pay their rent and utility bills. This is a sad situation, and so as the President of the Association, I petitioned the Vice President, informing him that we are owed eight months of arrears. I later made a follow-up with the Finance Ministry, but I was informed the Ministry had yet to receive any direct information on when and how to pay us.
I had to go back to the Jubilee House, demanding an answer as to when our arrears would be paid. Recently, Dr. Bawumia, in response to a question by a traditional ruler, assured us that the arrears owed us would be paid. But we have still not been paid. So as the president, I am working closely with leadership to remind the Vice President of the need to pay us. We do not want to classify his assurance as false. I will not deny the fact that NABCO has provided several beneficiaries with opportunities. Over 120,000 people benefited from the NABCO initiative. However, our concern now is that some 30,000 of the trainers are owed eight-month arrears.”
He told Kwabena Agyapong, host of Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, that NABCO is no longer operational, but they are merely requesting that all arrears be paid.
He appealed to the government to do the needful so he would have some peace of mind.
“NABCO is no longer in existence, but we must push for payment of the arrears owed to our members. The arrears are not for me, but for the 30,000 recipients. I can’t sleep because of the strain from those owed. The arrears are not for me, but for the majority of those who rely on me to push for their payment.”
He concluded by calling on the government to release money so the arrears are paid, saying, “We are appealing to the NPP government. This is troubling. Economically, this is not good, and politically, it is not healthy for the ruling government. Morally, the arrears owed us are not good. That is why I am appealing to the government to clear all the arrears so it would reduce the burden of the beneficiaries, including myself.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
