Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu
Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu has stated that the graduate teachers currently picketing at the Ghana Education Service (GES) over unpaid wages were not employed through the appropriate channels.
According to him, the previous government hired approximately 39,000 teachers without obtaining the necessary financial clearance.
The current administration, he said, is conducting an audit and expects to absorb only about 12,000 of the 39,000 into the education system after the audit is completed.
“Appointment letters were issued to as many as 39,000 individuals without any financial clearance. That is problematic. So, of the 39,000, the government may be able to absorb perhaps 9,000, 11,000, or 12,000 — but certainly not all 39,000. Whoever misled or deceived you, it wasn’t the John Mahama or Haruna Iddrisu administration,” the Minister stated.
He continued: “Someone got a number of you to unknowingly participate in a recruitment process that lacked legitimate approval. We are currently auditing to verify three things: first, that you have the required qualifications; second, that your appointment is valid; and third, that you are indeed at post. Only then will we consider absorbing those we can accommodate within our budget. Until that validation process is complete, I have no definitive story to share with you.”
The graduate teachers, who have reportedly been working for nearly nine months without pay, continue to demand their overdue salaries.
The group was recently spotted protesting during the President’s visit to the Ashanti Region. However, the President’s convoy passed without addressing them.