“We may not live to see the economy bounce back, pay us now” — NaBCo trainees protest for 10 months unpaid allawa

Trainees of the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCo) programme have gone berserk following government’s failure to settle arrears of unpaid allowance (allawa).

Today, trainees have hit the streets of Accra to demand that government settles the unpaid allowance of 10 months.

Demonstrators started from the Obra spot at Circle and marched through the principal streets of Accra to Independence Square.

Some protestors carried placards expressing the struggles trainees are going through due to the unpaid allowance.

Some of the inscriptions read; “Nabco trainees are dying of hunger”, “When are you paying our 10 months’ arrears Mr President”? “NaBCo trainees lives matter,” and “we may not live to see the economy bounce back”.

At the independent square, the leadership of the trainees made it clear they will not move until officials of government avails themselves to receive their petition to address their issue.

As already announced by the government, the National Builder's Corps programme will end by September 1, 2022.

“Mr. Speaker, our iconic National Builder’s Corps (NABCo) programme, which was initially to run for three years and extended for an additional year, will be completed by 1st September 2022,” Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said in Parliament on Monday, July 25, during the presentation of the mid-year budget review.

He added, “As they exit, the current cohort on the programme are encouraged to take advantage of the YouStart initiative and other existing programmes in our drive to build an Entrepreneurial Nation.

“Government’s policy is to support dynamic young entrepreneurs to access training and funds to build their businesses and become a significant pool of job providers for their fellow young people.”