Government is working to reconcile discrepancies in data between the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Statistical Service as part of efforts to resolve the ongoing strike by pre-tertiary teachers.
Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said President John Mahama had directed that all necessary steps be taken to end the industrial action and return teachers to the classroom.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the President had been briefed on the disruption to pre-tertiary education and had instructed the relevant institutions to work towards a swift resolution.
“Oh, of course, he has been briefed. So he has instructed that every necessary action be taken to ensure that teachers go back to the classroom,” he said.
The three major teacher unions — the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) — began the nationwide strike on September 25 over outstanding promotion-related payments and other conditions of service.
According to Mr Kwakye Ofosu, the immediate challenge is to resolve differences in information held by the institutions involved in processing payments.
“I think there is some gap between what the Accountant-General and the Minister of Finance have done and what the GSO said, so it is that gap that needs to be closed,” he said.
The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department has previously stated that it had processed and paid 6,079 newly promoted teachers whose complete documentation had been submitted by the Ghana Education Service, while indicating that thousands of other cases were awaiting the required documentation.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said government remained committed to paying teachers who are legitimately entitled to the outstanding salaries and arrears.
He explained that the Accountant-General’s position was that payments had been made for the names and documentation received, but further clarification was required to resolve differences in the figures.
“So he shows that government is committed to do what has to be done, except that clarity has to be brought to the process, and all the differences ironed out,” he said.
President ready to intervene
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the Education Ministry, Finance Ministry and Controller and Accountant-General’s Department were currently leading efforts to resolve the dispute.
He said presidential intervention could become necessary if the institutions failed to reach an agreement.
“At the moment, I believe that it is within the purview of the education ministry, the finance ministry, and the Controller-General’s Department to address this, and I know that efforts are ongoing to achieve just that,” he said.
His comments come after Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu directed the Ghana Education Service to submit data on promoted teachers to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to facilitate the payment of salaries and arrears.
The government has also outlined further measures, including validation of data relating to the proposed 20 per cent deprived-area allowance and renewed engagement with the unions on their collective agreement and conditions of service.
The unions, however, have rejected calls to suspend the strike, insisting that they want concrete evidence of payment rather than further assurances before returning to the classroom.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said government expected the ongoing engagements to resolve the outstanding issues within days, stressing the importance of restoring teaching and learning in pre-tertiary schools.
“Government values the contributions of teachers,” he said, adding that the country could not afford to have teachers withdraw their services for an extended period.
