PRESS RELEASE
TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES (TV, RADIO, GRAPHIC, ONLINE)
VICTIMS OF THREE MONTHS ARREARS PAY POLICY (V3MAPP)*
We want to use this opportunity to bring clarity to the misinformation surrounding the payment of salary arrears owed qualified professional teachers hijacking our screens, airwaves,online and papers. To teachers especially, this issue is no news to us since it has been hanging on our necks for the past 5 years.
The issue is becoming worse day after day. Just last week, we heard the Vice president of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia indicated that funds have been made available for the payment of the 5year old debt. We don’t want to believe that it is one of the usual political tactics because on some media sites, reports received showed that the debt has already been cleared. At the same time there is also a letter which is believed to have been issued by the Ministery of Finance circulating on social media the content suggested that debts to be cleared consists of transfer grants as well as car and maintenance allowances. As to who is speaking the truth, we are yet to find out.
We would want to make it categorically clear to the whole world that we cannot trust GES with issues of salary arrears and the general welfare of teachers, assuming the letter from the Ministry of Finance is true. CAGD should be in the better position to pay the monies directly into the accounts of affected teachers since GES has from 2013 till date soiled itself with a lot of financial and administrative misconduct. The evidence is what brought about the three months arrears payment policy. District Directors of Education backdated appointment letters in a bid to loot state coffers, IPPD coordinators kept files meant to be forwarded to GES headquarters in their bedrooms aside several other misconducts and gross display of incompetence. The then Director General, Mr Jacob kor did nothing about it. He is a failure and his administration will go down history as the poorest.
There are a lot of corrupt practices going on at the offices of the various GES directorates but we would want to direct focus for and concentrate on our unpaid salary arrears. But before we do, we would want to draw the attention of the Ghana Police service, EOCO and BNI to arrest the former PRO of GES, Rev Betty Jonathan for deliberately forging documents which earned him salaries he did not deserve. We believe it is such acts like that of Rev Betty which has caused the delays in payment of our arrears. For example, we all witnessed what happened In 2016, when 186 teachers whose promotion letters were not in measure to their ranks were handed over to the BNI for investigations and prosecution. Hence we find it hypocritical and wanton display of incompetence on the part of the current Director General of GES for reassigning the corrupt Rev. Who forged his promotion letter instead of an immediate dismissal and onward prosecution by the law enforcement agencies.
Now, back to the main issue. This time on Dr. Bawumia’s statements, we would like to respectfully urge His Excellency Dr. Bawumia to find out the exact debt the finance ministry have given clearance to since we believe he’s being fed with the wrong information. More particularly, we want to trust that he might not be aware that aside the transfer grants and vehicle and car maintenance allowances, over 50,000 teachers are still panting for breadth with respect to their unpaid salary arrears. Not even a kobo have been paid to us.
More to these, the amount which is quoted in the letter signed by the finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori Atta cannot even pay quarter of the debt we are talking about. Hence party communicators should be extra careful in their speeches in order not to incur our wrath.
Lastly, we would want the whole heavens and the earth to bear witnesses to us that we have from today lost respect and trust for our teacher unions. They should lace their boots for our volcanic power resistance to their countless lies and cheats which has landed us in this shameful and needless stress.
We may end here but not without extending our heartfelt condolences to the affected teachers for their near-death situations and grave yard experiences they have gone through so far.
We want to assure them that we will legally use all tools available to us to claim our salary arrears.
Happy new year.
*Owusu Baffoe Daniel*
*Secretary*
0245144243
*Boateng Samuel Clinton*
*President*
0544926222