Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu met with university graduate teachers who gathered at the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, May 7, to express their frustrations regarding delays in postings and salaries.
The teachers, who have been left discontented by the situation, are calling for the issuance of staff IDs for those already in position and regional posting letters for their colleagues whose documentation is currently stalled at various regional offices nationwide. They attribute these delays to what they characterize as the unwarranted cancellation of postings and a lack of timely follow-ups after the validation process, leading to nearly five months without pay.
Minister Iddrisu explained that the previous administration had issued a total of 39,000 appointment letters without the necessary financial clearance. He noted that the current government may only be able to accommodate between 9,000 and 12,000 of these appointments.
One of the affected teachers, Myers Assibi Akudbilla, recounted her distressing experience after being transferred from Tamale in the Upper East Region to the Ashanti Region, where she has not received any salary for five months. “I came here primarily for my staff ID, stemming from the recruitment process. My appointment was dated November 8. When I arrived in the region to collect my posting letter, I was told to obtain my IPPD document for processing.
“However, upon my arrival, the revocation process had already begun, preventing my IPPD from being processed. Currently, I am stationed in the Ashanti Region, but my future remains uncertain. My documents are stuck at the district level, which is why I am here today. We are seeking clarity on the status of our documentation,” she shared.
Emmanuel Ofori, Deputy Convenor of the protesting teachers, revealed that following a private meeting with the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, assurances were made that regional offices have been instructed to expedite the resolution of their concerns.
“We were summoned for a discussion that lasted approximately 35 minutes. During this time, it was communicated that we, the newly posted teachers who have successfully completed the validation process, have effectively been reinstated. However, the reality is that they are grappling with challenges, particularly regarding financial clearance,” he explained.
“The financial clearance secured by the previous government has expired, and they have reached out to the Ministry of Finance to request its reactivation, which is essential for the release of our staff IDs and the payment of our salaries,” he added.
