Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has faced criticism regarding the unpaid allowances of nursing students at Pantang Nursing Training College, despite a significant turnout during his campaign visit.
Earlier this year, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was confronted by student nurses who expressed their frustration over the government’s failure to pay their allowances, which have been overdue for over three years.
In response to their concerns, Dr. Bawumia stated he was unaware of the government’s arrears and directed the Finance Ministry to release funds for the overdue payments, which remain unpaid months later.
While campaigning at the Pantang Nursing and Midwifery Training School in Accra, Dr. Opoku Prempeh suggested that it is better for the government to owe allowances than to cancel them entirely.
In response, the student nurses recorded a video in which they expressed their outrage over the government’s failure to deliver on its promises, chanting, “We want allawa, we want allawa,” which visibly shocked Dr. Opoku Prempeh.
Amanda Okyere, the Deputy Director of Logistics and Protocol for the opposition NDC, reacted to the incident, stating, “This video clearly shows how Napo and Bawumia will watch as Ghanaians remain in a state of shock amidst the chaos, suffering, and challenges, while we expect swift leadership intervention.”
Okyere has recently criticized the government’s lackadaisical approach to addressing the country’s pressing issues.
The same video shared on social media also depicted the student nurses fleeing from an alleged fire incident, while Dr. Opoku Prempeh appeared to be in shock.
Many questioned why he did not contact the fire service during the emergency.
He was present at the nursing college alongside the national organizer of the party and other prominent party members. It remains unclear if there were any casualties from the incident.
