You can’t turn ministry into bedroom-Police warns picketing students

After preventing students of the School of Hygiene from sleeping at the Ministry of Health on Monday, as they picketed over unpaid allowances, the Police says it will no longer tolerate such conducts. 

It has, therefore, entreated students of the school to desist from picketing at the Ministry of Health as demonstration and picketing have been made illegal by the restrictions law.

The Police on Tuesday dispelled students from the School of Hygiene who picketed at the forecourt of the Ministry of Health, demanding that the government pays allowances owed them.

The government in September 2017 restored nurse and teacher-trainee allowances cancelled by the Mahama administration.

But the students claimed that they have not received a pesewa even though their peers in nursing colleges had been paid.

With pillows and mattresses by their side, the students, numbering about 50, threatened to spend the night at the premises. But they were prevented by the police.

Speaking to Citi News, the  Director of Operations at the Accra Regional Police Command,  ACP Kwasi Ofori, said the law enforcement agency would not permit such conduct in the wake of Covid-19 restrictions.

“First and foremost, in this Covid era, picketing, demonstrations and so forth are not allowed under the executive instrument. They came here in their numbers threatening and massing up. It will be wrong should the police allow them to sleep over”,  ACP Kwasi Ofori explained.

The director of operations added that they had to use a soft-hand approach to persuade and convince the agitated students to vacate the premises.

The protests which started on Tuesday was as a result of the failure of the government to pay their promised allowances of GHC400 every month since 2017.

Earlier this month, the leadership of the Coalition of Schools of Hygiene students announced that its members will not sit for the end of semester examination meant for final year students until their three-year locked-up allowances are paid.

They feared their allowances have been completely scrapped without reason, pointing out that their colleagues in nursing training schools are receiving their allowances.

The Students of Hygiene actually pitched camp with their mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets and cooking utensils over at the premises of the Ministry of Health.

They pitched the camp to sleepover at the premise, insisting they will only  leave

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel George, has indicated that the concerns of the Hygiene students would be raised on the floor of parliament when the house resumed.

According to him, the Minority in Parliament would raise the students’ issues before the Health Committee, Health Minister and Finance Minister for an amicable solution.

Mr George also stated that the students had advised the students to be calm and law-abiding.