A section of the female nursing trainees during the demonstration. INSET: Some students demanding their allowance
After several letters and petitions to various authorities connected to the development and the running of the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College, tutors and students of the school yesterday decided to implement their threats by locking out the principal, Baba Awalu.
The students demonstrated to catch the attention of authorities higher than their principal, on the need to improve their classroom and dormitory accommodations to create an enabling environment for studies. They also complained of poor sanitation management and demanded proper accountability regarding the development levies they had been paying to the college.
The third-year students want Mr Baba Awalu to make available their GHc450.00 allowance that was paid by the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in December 2016, to be distributed among them.
The tutors on the other hand, locked out the principal on Tuesday to prevent him from tampering with documents that could be used against him in some alleged mismanagement cases leveled against him.
They want higher authorities to get him to step aside to allow an investigation into alleged breach of the Procurement Law, since he assumed office.
They also accused the principal of misappropriating the college’s funds and want him to be changed immediately and made to pay back whatever he has misappropriated.
For many years, students of the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College have complained of poor and inadequate toilet facilities and other sanitation problems, but very little seems to have been done to change the situation.
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) President, Simon Kombian, said the leadership of the Upper East Regional Health Directorate, had assured that it would do everything possible to get their grievances addressed.
The students later presented a petition to the Directorate and one to be given to the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukari.
Meanwhile, Mr Bawa Awalu has said that the allegations the tutors are raising are not new, and are being investigated.
From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Zaare, Bolgatanga