Pay us new allowance - NASPA

The National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) of the Greater Accra Region has given government seven days to pay the new, approved allowance or face their wrath.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the President of NASPA Greater Accra, Kwadwo Danquah, said the current government acted in bad faith after agreeing to the increment.

“We the executive of NASPA Greater Accra will advise ourselves if the concerns are not addressed within the seven-day ultimatum given,” he stated.

In the last quarter of 2016, the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government adjusted monthly allowances of personnel from GHS350.00 to GHS559.04.

However, the January allowance received by members was GHS350.00. This has not gone down well with some members who decided subsequently to organise a demonstration in protest against the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s failure to abide by the 60 per cent increment.

A press release was issued to the effect that the protest would be held on February 8, 2017, starting from the Accra Mall, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 37 Military Hospital, then to the Flagstaff House and a petition submitted to Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo.

The one week grace period given by NASPA comes ahead of the planned protests.

According to Mr Danquah, the current government paid public sector workers a 12% increment and also paid Article 71 officers their increased salaries and ex-gratia.

He, therefore, found it surprising that government told national service personnel that their increment was not captured in the last budget.

“If you knew that it was not captured, you could have come out to tell us earlier before we were paid. [It was] after we started making noise following the payments that did not reflect the increment...they issued a statement… Government has not been fair to us,” he added.