The Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has confirmed the release of over 14 million cedis by the Finance Ministry to clear outstanding arrears owed teachers from 2013 to 2016.
Teachers recently threatened a nationwide strike if their arrears were not settled by the government as soon as possible.
However, speaking at the opening ceremony of the 5th Quadrennial (52nd) national delegates conference of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) at the University of Cape Coast on Thursday, Dr. Bawumia announced the “goodnews” to them.
“The Minister of Finance released the monies for those allowances yesterday,” he said to a thunderous applause from the teachers.
He said the gesture further demonstrates government’s commitment towards education, noting that government still believes the teacher is key in its education agenda.
Meanwhile, 3news.com has sighted a letter dated January 3, 2018 signed by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta directing the release of funds to clear the arrears.
The letter addressed to the Controller and Accountant General “authorised” that GHc 14,172,313.23 is released “to the Minister of Education to enable him make payment of outstanding Transfer Grants and other allowances to the staff of the Ghana Education Service for the period January 2013 to December, 2016”.
Onua FM’s Central Regional correspondent, Kwame Kakraba, who was at the conference, reports that Dr. Bawumia had earlier reiterated that the NPP government inherited a “broken economy”, yet it was able to deliver a number of its campaign promises, citing the payment of allowances to teacher trainees and trainee nurses .
Source: 3news.com | Ghana]]>
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