Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, a Civil Society Organisation, Kofi Asare has suggested that governments response to the demands by striking health workers would have been fast if a procurement activity was involved.
Mr. Asare criticized Government for its lackadaisical approach to resolving matters concerning the striking health workers, wondering why Government hurriedly spent GHc 110 million on food, math sets and calculators for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidates but cannot act quickly to amicably address the grievances of the striking health workers.
Mr Asare wonders why nurses and health workers must slug it out with government before they are given what is rightfully theirs. He suspects the lack of procurement activity may be the cause of Government’s sluggish approach to resolving their issues.
“GoG spent GHC 40 million on food for JHS Students at Morning Star, Ridge Church and Mbaa Mp3 Hia JHS etc, even when they weren’t hungry. Prior, we spent close to GHC 70 million on mathematical sets and calculators for WASSCE candidates, an expense being incurred by parents in Liberia and Sierra Leone, as part of their contribution to the education of their children,” he wrote on social media.
He continued: “These two procurement expenditure were gleefully incurred with alacrity. Why should there be a Tango when it comes to giving Nurses and health workers their due? Is it because that isn’t a procurement activity? Where is the plenty money we have been gleefully spending? Ahh; which kind country kraa be dis?” He argued.
Health workers – Nurses, midwives, physician assistants and anesthetists – declared a strike on Monday September 21, 2020, over Government’s inability to meet their demands in their Conditions of Service.
Meanwhile, the National Labor Commission has secured a court order against the strike and the health workers are expected to report to work immediately.
