Newly Trained Teachers Bare Teeth @ Governemnt Over Removal From Payroll

Newly trained teachers are up in arms with government following the decision by the Finance Ministry to remove them from the government payroll immediately after completing college.

The Ministry recently directed the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to take the newly trained teachers off when they finish school until they are posted to their various stations.

However, the group calling itself Concerned Newly Trained Teachers say, the “newly trained teacher had already been employed by the GES even before he/she completes college”.

A statement signed by National Convener, Emmanuel Gakpo, questioned: “Should the government take away the small allowance which is supposed to cushion us, how do we cope with expenditure such as rent, utilities, feeding, transportation, etc; especially at this time when prices are increasing every day?”

“It becomes very sad that a government that proclaims its social democratic ideologies will even consider taking newly trained teachers off payroll at a time they are engaged and should even be paid their salaries”.

Below is the full statement issued by the Concerned Newly Trained Teachers:

PRESS RELEASE BY CONCERNED NEWLY TRAINED TEACHERS ON THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY TO TAKE NEWLY TRAINED TEACHERS OFF PAYROLL IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMPLETING COLLEGE

PREAMBLE

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Those were Thomas Jefferson’s words in the popular speech “Declaration of Independence.”

It is only prudent for every human government to organize its activities and policies in respect of those truths.

We entrusted our powers to the government to ensure that we, the people of Ghana, have our happiness safeguarded. It’s rather interesting to note that the government is bent on implementing policies that kill the Ghanaian at the Cheetah’s pace; and those that grow us at a Snail’s pace.

The government implements such policies without the consent of those who are mostly affected. What a tyranny.

One of such policies is the removal of allowances of newly trained teachers soon after completing college.

The fact remains that, The Teacher Trainee had signed an agreement to remain teaching for at least five years, which assured him entitlement to allowance till he becomes a teacher and is fully placed on salary. This implies that, the allowances of teacher trainees are not as free as opponents may wish to see it.

Source: www.myjoyonline.com

Reinstate Pupils Teachers - Northern NPP

Northern Regional Secretariat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has advocated the need for government to reinstate all pupil teachers whose appointments have been terminated.

According to the Ghana Education Service Boss, Aheto Tsegah, the affected pupil teachers failed to upgrade themselves whilst in active service.

This decision, according to the Northern Regional NPP Secretary, Sule Salifu if not reversed will deepen the falling standard of education especially in Northern Ghana where qualified teachers reject postings to deprived communities.

As a political party which is touted for its 2012 flagship campaign philosophy of the free education from the basic to secondary levels, he described government's action as a misplaced priority.

“This action by government will worsen the plight of the Northern Region educationally because many of the primary schools are largely manned by pupil teachers and their dismissal by the John Mahama NDC administration will slow down the pace of academic work and knowledge acquisition by northern pupils.”

He implored government to rather encourage unemployed graduates to teach in schools.

This in Sule Salifu’s estimation will reduce the nation’s skyrocketed unemployment rate.

On the recent sod cutting exercises by President John Dramani Mahama to upgrade the Tamale Airport and to complete the abandoned Tamale Aboabo Sheanut and grains market, Sule Salifu described it as one of the governing NDC’s political gimmicks.

He cited the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the Buipe Sheanut factory as what he described as some failed projects executed by government in the Northern Region.

Source: Citionline

Teachers Accuse Education Minister of Acting in Bad Faith

Members of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana (CCT-G) have descended heavily on the Minister of Education, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, expressing chagrin about her performance since assuming the reins as sector minister.

“We are highly disappointed in the Minister because we thought that she is a teacher and, therefore, when she was nominated to the position we were all happy,” National President of CCT-G Ernest Opoku said on TV3 on Monday, May 12.

“Unfortunately, the current policies that are being implemented by the Minister is unfriendly and we are ready to resist with all the might that we have as a union,” he added.

The Coalition says the Ministry owes members' incremental allowances spanning over two years while discussion on transfer allowances for members under the rationalization policy of government seems to be ignored by the Ministry.

“It is a complete human rights abuse if not a cheat or stealing on the part of government for government to pay only three months for arrears instead of the number years that person has worked.”

CCT-G has, as a result, declared a nationwide strike from Friday, May 16.

“The Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana is declaring a nationwide strike action and for this reason all teachers should lay down their tools starting 16th May 2014.”

Source: www.myjoyonline.com

Prez Mahama Reshuffles Regional Ministers again!

President Mahama has reshuffled Regional Ministers for the second time, sending them back to various regions where they were initially assigned to in 2013.

A statement from the Flagstaff House and signed by the Spokesperson to the President, Ben Dotsei Malor, said the Regional Ministers are to report to their new regions by the 15th of March, 2014.

The new changes are Eric Opoku - Brong Ahafo Region, Samuel Sarpong - Ashanti Region, Helen Ntoso - Volta Region, Julius Debrah - Eastern Region, Bede Ziedeng - Upper West Region, Alhaji Limuna Muniru - Northern Region, Dr. Ephraim Avea Nsoh - Upper East Region, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo - Greater Accra Region, E.K.T. Addo - Central Region and Paul Evans Aidoo - Western Region.

President John Dramani Mahama announced his first ministerial reshuffle in March 2013 and explained it was intended to foster national unity, integration and cohesion. This happened a little over two months into his administration.

Presidency explained that the exercise was intended to ensure that regional ministers focused mainly on the political and technical coordination of the development efforts of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).

Adisadel Headmaster Takes Home Four Vehicles as Retirement Package - PTA fumes

The Parent Teacher Association of Adisadel college has rejected a letter of appreciation from the outgoing headmaster of the school, indicating that the PTA bought some vehicles for him as his retirement package.

The headmaster, Rev. Herbert Graham took home four luxurious vehicles as his retirement package at a send- off service held for him but the PTA says, they have nothing to do with cars and thus cannot be appreciated for a gesture they have not done.

Rev. Herbert Graham who is still at post after his send-off service, wrote a letter thanking the PTA for having bought him some vehicles as his retirement package and thanking them profusely for the honour done him.

But in a sharp rebuttal, the PTA has written to him rejecting his appreciation. According to a letter written and signed by the vice chairman of the PTA, Rev. Emmanuel Abole, the Parents and teachers recognize the retirement plans of the headmaster but have never bought vehicles for him to take home.

During the retirement service, four nicely decorated vehicles - Nissan Xterra, Ford Explorer, BMW four wheel drive and Opel car - were given to him to take home. Students are being pressured to pay the 30 Ghana cedis levy upon arrival from vacation, to settle their debtors for the vehicles purchased.  The school has a population of about 1,700 students.

With the PTA denying having bought the vehicles, it is not clear who ordered for the purchase of the four luxurious vehicles.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) however, says the levy on the students is illegal.

Parents have also been levied 50 Ghana cedis towards the celebration of the 104th anniversary and speech and  prize given-day. The expenditure for the celebration amounts to over a billion old Ghana cedis, an amount the parents and teachers have described as irrational.

In a related development, the PTA is calling on the GES to ensure that the headmaster who has retired does not continue to sign letters and cheques and does not also  control the affairs of the school. They want the headmaster to leave the scene because, the continued stay in office by Rev. Herbert Graham will further increase the tension and division in the school.

Source: Myjoyonline.com 

Komla Dumor Dies

Komla Afeke Dumor

BBC and former host of Joy FM's Super Morning Show Komla Dumor has died.

The presenter of the Focus on Africa programme on BBC died, Saturday morning in London after a short illness Myjoyonline.com has learnt.

Former CEO OF Kumasi Asante Kotoko Herbert Mensah confirmed the death in an interview with Joy News.

His wife is a neighbour to Dumor in London and was present when the doctors pronounced the BBC presenter dead. Mensah would not give any further details on the circumstances surrounding the death except to add that Esther Cobbah, head of Stratcomm Africa, and a friend to the Dumor family has been  appointed to speak on the family's behalf.

Komla Dumor was on set Friday evening when he hosted the BBC Focus of Africa programme. It was to be his last. He was only last week nominated to be the face of the BBC for the World Cup in Brazil this summer.

The ace Ghanaian journalist, 2003 winner of the  GJA Journalist of the year, hosted the Joy FM Super Morning Show for ten years before proceeding to the BBC in 2006 where he hosted a number of programmes including the BBC World News, Focus on Africa, Network Africa.

He was the only West African news reader on the BBC World news until his death.

Dumor achieved his feat in journalism without a journalism background.

He studied medicine but he changed course and graduated from the University of Ghana with a BSc in Sociology and Psychology and from Harvard University with an MA in Public Administration.

His unique voice, passion, and an incredible attention to detail catapulted him to higher heights in journalism. He had interviewed some of the greatest world leaders, including former US president Bill Clinton, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

He was married to Kwansema Dumor, with whom he had three children. He was 41.

Source: Myjoyonline.com