It would be recalled that an Upper East Regional Communication Team Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Andrew Atariwini expressed confidence that approximately 70,000 out of the 100,000 trainees temporarily employed under the Akufo-Addo-led government’s National Builders Corps (NABCO) have been employed fully by government agencies and some private partners.
This, he said, is the reason there have been fewer agitations with regard to stipends and conditions of service for the trainees. He made this statement when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Tuesday, July 26, 2022.
“What has not been said is that most of these people have been accelerated in various public and private institutions and are really doing well for themselves. If you were to open the phone lines, you are going to have a plethora of calls coming in to testify that indeed, NABCO was a very good step in getting them to wherever they are,” he said.
“70 percent of them have been upgraded into various institutions for permanent jobs. Yes, around 70,000 of them, exactly the point I am making,” he stressed.
But social media users have cast serious doubts over the claims of the NPP communicator.
Apuakasi Pallas wrote, “four NABCO workers are at my work place. They are all sitting home because they have not been paid for several months. They aren’t coming to work. Where then did they get those figures? Eiii, politicians should be careful ooo! 70,000 is not mean a small number.”
Richard Attah Bori also wrote, “it is a strategy to delay and frustrate them with the payment so that they stop going to work. They will later conduct a headcount to capture only a few people and deny you of all the months worked for and say they have stopped because they got a job without saying the truth that they caused you to exit because of non-payment of monies.”
Osei Bela wrote, “Eiiiiiish, mmmm. Please be sincere to the citizenry. The figures that you are giving de3 hmmm, I afraid. What about those unpaid Youth in Afforestation beneficiaries? What does the future hold for them?”
Another social media user did not take Mr. Atariwini’s comment lightly. Armah Theresa wrote, “you people will suffer for lying to us. Give us the names of the companies you are talking about.”
Josephine Owusuaa wrote, “Liar to the highest. Wow, their man can lie for Africa. Deceiver! All the Nabco trainees are at home [and are] frustrated and you are saying this? Very heartless.”
Sierra Maestra Gabby wrote, “looking into our eyes and lying through your teeth. Ghana has gradually turned into a scourge and a scar on the conscience of humanity. We seemed to have no clue about our thoughts, words and deeds.”
Ibrahim Nurudeen wrote, “you’re saying all this knowing very well that is a lie. This is what Almighty Allah doesn’t like. May he forgive you because you don’t know what you are saying.”
Benjamin K. Enimil Andoh wrote, “in as much as we defend government, let’s not think these youth are dumb. They are tertiary graduates and you sit on the radio to lie and put more salt in their injury. Come on! 9 solid months they have not been paid. Since November till date. Aden? We want to break the 8 and we are sending over 65,000 trainees home when every MP including the president promised them permanency. Let’s remember they have friends and family who are floating voters and will be very disappointed with the deception. None of them is even below 25yrs. This should show the disappointment they are experiencing now.”
Mumuni Fusheini wrote, “Master speak the truth so that those who can offer the NABCO Trainees permanency do so and stop your lies. We are all party footsoldiers but they refuse to offer us jobs and we entering into a crucial election year.”
Abugri Azumah Alex wrote, “these are the next crop of politicians the youth are blindly or selfishly propagating to lead them in future. The value remains hopeless.”
Meanwhile, in a subsequent interview responding to the public onslaught, Mr. Atariwini insisted that the numbers he presented were accurate.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
