Grab NaBCO jobs – Minister to jobless nurses

The nurses are kicking against government's new initiative; NaBCO

Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wireko-Brobby, has urged all unposted nurses to take advantage of the Nations Builders Corps (NaBCO) which was recently launched by President Akufo-Addo to provide 100,000 jobs to unemployed graduates and professionals.

Mr Wireko-Brobby indicated that the NaBCO programme is an interim intervention as efforts are being made to provide permanent jobs for unemployed professionals.

His comments follow a decision by the Coalition of Unemployed Private Nurses (COUPN) to stage a demonstration on Monday, 7 May 2018 against NaBCO.

The group is opposing attempts by government to enrol it members into the Heal Ghana module of the NaBCO initiative with a monthly salary of GHS 700.

“We will like to make it clear to members that the paraphernalia clearly indicates that NaBCO trainees will receive training to be able to practice, which is an indication that it is not ideally meant for nurses and other health professionals but rather a calculated attempt to migrate health professionals onto this scheme in the quest for cheap labour,” President of COUPN, Fredrick Baah, noted in a statement on Tuesday, 2 May 2018.

The demonstration will start at the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and proceed through the principal streets of Accra and end at the Accra Hearts of Oak Park.

But speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5 FM on Thursday, 3 May 2018, Mr Wireko-Brobby, who is also the Member of Parliament for Hemang Lower Denkyira noted that although it is their constitutional right to demonstrate, the nurses will need to soften their position and take advantage of the programme.

He said: “You have stayed home for three or four years without jobs but this government has provided this interim measure to give you a job, yet you want to demonstrate against it, I don’t understand it.

“It is their right to demonstrate but I will urge them to take advantage of the programme, if they don’t understand the issues they can come into our offices and we will explain issues to them.”