Francis Asante, a US-based finance lecturer and leading member of the Strategic Forum for the Movement for Change, has criticised the Ghanaian government for its lackluster response to the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA).
The strike, triggered by the government’s failure to implement a conditions of service agreement signed in May 2024, has sparked widespread concern about the administration’s commitment to healthcare professionals.
Speaking in a phone interview with Nana Yaw Asiamah on Dream 98.1 FM in Worawora, Oti Region, Mr. Asante accused the government of acting in bad faith. He argued that the Health Ministry should have anticipated the financial obligations and made budgetary provisions accordingly, regardless of the agreement being brokered under the previous administration.
“The Health Minister should have made provisions for it in his budget knowing very well that the government will pay it at all cost,” he said.
Mr. Asante further contended that government officials should have re-engaged the GRNMA early on to renegotiate the agreement if they believed fulfilling it would strain the national budget.
“They [government] should have gone back to the negotiating table earlier when they realized the demands would affect the coffers of the state should they pay the demands. You don’t wait till late before saying their demands aren’t budgeted for,” he added.
He stressed the need for government to honour commitments made to essential workers and to act with foresight in handling labour-related matters in critical sectors like health.
Mr. Asante concluded by urging policymakers to adopt a proactive rather than reactionary approach, warning that delays and poor planning only deepen crises that could otherwise be avoided through timely dialogue and fiscal responsibility.
