Government has assured striking teachers that it will meet its payment commitments once outstanding issues in the payment process are resolved.
Government spokesperson and Abura Asebu-Kwamankese MP Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the President has been briefed on the strike and has instructed that every necessary action be taken to get teachers back into the classroom.
“So he has instructed that every necessary action be taken to ensure that teachers go back to the classroom,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday.
He said the government recognises the importance of teachers and cannot afford to have them remain out of the classroom for an extended period.
“Government values the contributions of teachers, and teachers are highly valued, highly respected human resources, and because of their importance, one can ill afford for them to withdraw their services over any extended period of time,” he said.
Mr Ofosu said engagements were ongoing to resolve the dispute.
“As I speak, there are engagements that are going on, and I’m confident that in a matter of days, that matter should be resolved, so they return to the classroom as quickly as possible,” he said.
The strike follows a dispute over the payment of teachers’ promotions, with teacher unions withdrawing their services over concerns about outstanding payments.
Mr Ofosu said the Finance Ministry and Controller and Accountant-General’s Department had taken steps on their side, but a gap remained between the information from the two sides and what the Ghana Statistical Service (GSO) had indicated.
“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.
He stressed that government was prepared to pay the affected teachers once the discrepancies were resolved.
“The accountant, you now assume that, as far as he is concerned, the list of teachers that he has received is affected by payments. 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.
“Once that is done, government has to meet its commitment, so we will meet it,” he added.
On whether President John Mahama could personally intervene, Mr Ofosu said the matter was currently within the responsibility of the relevant ministries and Controller.
“At the moment, I believe that it is within the purview of the education ministry, the finance ministry, and the controller to address this, and I know that efforts are ongoing to achieve just that,” he said.
He added that presidential intervention could be considered if the matter reached a difficult deadlock.
“But as and when it is necessary for some presidential intervention to be made in order to assure teachers of government’s commitment to certain things that are agreed upon, why not?” he said.
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