General News of Monday, 30 April 2018

Source: Daniel Kaku

Unemployed nurses kick against government's NABCO policy

President Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to launch the Nation Builders Corps on May 1, 2018 President Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to launch the Nation Builders Corps on May 1, 2018

The Coalition of Unemployed Nurses (CUN) has unanimously kicked against government's Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) policy to engage them on a three-year contract basis.

A statement issued by the group's leadership and copied to GhanaWeb indicated that members of the coalition have gone through series of rigorous training, “ethically, physically, psychologically and licensed” to practice as qualified nurses, hence deserve better employment.

"We the unemployed Nurses have unanimously kicked this half cooked policy by this government into the gutters which seeks to engage us for a period of three years on contract basis. We have gone through series of rigorous training, ethically, physically, psychologically and licensed to practice as qualified Nurses", the statement emphasized.

The unemployed nurses claim government is attempting to hoodwink Ghanaians with the NABCO in order to score cheap political point.

"The policy is not only irritating and repulsive but it is an attempt to hoodwink Ghanaians and to throw dust into the eyes of the masses for the purposes of scoring cheap political point", the statement further revealed.

The aggrieved nurses registered their displeasure with government’s decision to employ them under the policy instead of fast tracking their financial clearances and offer them permanent employment.

According to them, "It will be of good to government to exempt us from this policy in its embryonic stage and go back to the drawing board to hasten our financial clearance. We wish to state categorically and emphatically that we the unemployed nurses are not interested in the policy and will not agree to this policy any day any time".



Below is the full statement

PRESS STATEMENT BY COALITION OF UNEMPLOYED NURSES (CUN)


We the above mentioned group wish to register our displeasure and disappointment on government decision to employ we the health professionals under the Nation builders Corps (NABCO).

We the unemployed Nurses have unanimously kicked this half cooked policy by this government into the gutters which seeks to engage us for a period of three years on contract basis. We have gone through series of rigorous training, ethically, physically, psychologically and licensed to practice as qualified Nurses.

The policy is not only irritating and repulsive but it is an attempt to hoodwink Ghanaians and to throw dust into the eyes of the masses for the purposes of scoring cheap political point.

It will be of good to government to exempt us from this policy in its embryonic stage and go back to the drawing board to hasten our financial clearance.

We further believe that this policy is not properly thought through and shows signs of general panic attack as a result of unprecedented number of unemployed graduates.

We are therefore cautioning government not to be promising Ghanaians with a knee jerk reaction.

We wish to state categorically and emphatically that we the unemployed nurses are not interested in the policy and will not agree to this policy any day any time.

The attempt by government to degrade Nurses in the eyes of the public and to cheapen the Nursing profession will not wash in the day or at night under our watch.

Though there is a widespread desperation amongst we the jobless Nurses who have been sitting in the house after finishing school for so many years to get employed, we will resist every attempt to denigrate the Nursing profession in anyway.

We wish to commend GNMTA and UNAA for their stance on this issue.

We the 2017 batch wish to inform our seniors that we are solidly behind them and if they accept this dead on arrival policy they should count us out.

We also wish to inform our members nationwide to remain calm as we follow the issue with maturity and professionalism, we won't hesitate to go off board if this policy becomes a force on us.

If there is a need to clear us after engaging us on the NABCO, why don't you clear us and rather use it for other purposes?

If unemployment has become a nightmare of our country it does not mean dead policies should be thrown to we nurses.

How come we are putting the life of vulnerable Ghanaians in danger? 1. Have you seen a police personnel who has undergone six (6) months training been employed as Community Police?

2. Have you heard of a fire service personnel who has been trained for six (6) months to be employed as 3 years on contract?

3. Have you seen a prison officer who has undergone six months training been employed for 3 years on contract?

4. Have you seen a teacher who has gone through 3 years training been employed as pupil's teacher?

Why then do you want to employ nurses who has paid huge sum of money to be trained for 2/3 years to be employed as Zoom nurses all in the name of reducing unemployment?

If it is lack of personnel to patronise that anchor program, we guess the free SHS students will be functional to this not we those who has contributed to the nation to be trained as health professionals. We hereby call on all our members across board to rise up and say "NO TO NABCO"

We in the noble profession believe in noble work.

One for all All for one

... Signed...

CONVENOR - Paul Selorm 0550792715

PRESS SECRETARY - Akugri Rashid Asuntaba 0264823577

ORGANIZER -Assuah George Eduku 0541521262

Supported by our Zonal representatives Zone A Richmond Osei Mensah 0240327195

Zone B

Perpetual Boampong

Zone C Asare Michael 0241482076

Cc: To GNMTA and UNAA To all media houses Source: Daniel Kaku