Kofi Tonto, an aide to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has fired shots at the John Mahama government over its failure to pay Teachers and Nurses.
According to Kofi Tonto, the NDC government claimed the Akufo-Addo government left behind a junk economy, but they were able to pay Teachers and Nurses.
Kofi Tonto highlighted that despite the economic challenges, the Akufo-Addo government paid workers and supported them even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NPP man rejected the Mahama government’s claims that the previous government left behind a junk economy.
Speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana on Metro TV on Monday, March 2, 2026, Kofi Tonto stated, “They claim that we left a junk economy. We don’t claim that, but we were able to pay teachers. We were able to pay the nurses. We were able to support government workers during COVID when they were not working. We paid them in full… We gave them 50 per cent in addition to their salaries and made it tax-free”.
“With your so-called proper economy, you can’t pay teachers. You can’t pay nurses. Electricity, 27 per cent increment. Water, 20 per cent. Sustainability tax, you’ve increased it to 3 per cent. You’ve extended the sunset clause… Non-life insurance: you’ve added 21 per cent. This is your so-called good economy,” he remarked.
Kofi Tonto also fired shots at the government’s anti-corruption Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) initiative, describing it as ineffective.
He stated, “ORAL. It is the most useless thing I have ever heard. He said Ablakwa did off-the-cuff or back-of-the-envelope calculations… He took a sheet of paper. ‘Oh, Kofi has stolen five… Kwame has stolen 10… Yaw has stolen 15’”.
He further questioned the approach to ORAL, saying, “Is that how you fight corruption? Mr. President, you didn’t know you needed an investigation before you allowed Okudzeto Ablakwa to recklessly put out a figure”.
“A government has built an institution for $240 million, and you claim that you are going to retrieve all of that $240 million. Is that sensible? These guys… they are frakadam, awam at one government,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has announced that payment of unpaid arrears to nurses and midwives posted during the 2024/2025 will begin in April.
The arrangement follows a successful negotiation between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Health statement further disclosed that to ensure a timely and responsible settlement, the government has structured the disbursements into four monthly instalments.
The payments will be distributed as follows: April, two months of arrears; May, three months of arrears; June, three months of arrears and July, three months of arrears.