AUDIO: Dr. Bawumia speaks to Voltarians: hints of restoration of Scrapped teacher & Nursing trainees' allowances

Dr. Bawumia in the studios of Volta Premier FM

The running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)for the 2016 general elections, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday, April 17, 2015 granted an interview to Ho Polytechnic campus based radio station, Volta Premier FM  as part of  his familiarization visit to the Volta region.

The interview conducted by Rustum Gameli Senorgbe touched on a wide scope of issues including the NPP electoral fortunes in the region, which is the 'world bank' of their opponent, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Dr. Bawumia Also revealed during the interview that, the NPP will restore allowances for teacher and nursing trainees, when it wins the 2016 elections.
The NDC government in 2013 scrapped off and nursing trainees' allowances in order to increase enrolment into the colleges. The allowances is subsequently replaced with the student loan scheme, to the displeasure of many of the trainees. 

According to the NPP vice presidential candidate, the reasons given by the current NDC government for scrapping the allowances is untenable, since the education and health sectors are crucial for the nation’s development.

South Tongu GES falls on capitation grant to pay utility bills

Heads of some public basic schools in the South Tongu district of the Volta region are up in arms against the district education directorate for cutting down on their allocation of the capitation grant, being disbursed for running of the schools.

Information gathered by Voltaonline, revealed that, the education office levied each basic school pupil, 50pesewas and subsequently deducted it from their share of the capitation grant of GHc4.50 per child.

The amount which is lodged in a special account known as ‘District Support Levy’ is meant to help the office defray its debts to utility providers including the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

But some of the head teachers who are unhappy about the deduction noted that, it will adversely affect the smooth running of the schools, as they depend on the grant to supply teaching aids and other items needed to teach the pupils effectively.