The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has directed the release of salaries for 902 out of 1,310 teachers which were blocked last week.
The OSP blocked their salaries after identifying infractions and subsequently commencing investigations into the matter.
This angered the leadership of the teacher unions who asked the OSP to direct the release of the salaries or face their wrath.
The unions in education, GNAT, NAGRAT and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers at a news conference on February 14, described the Special Prosecutor’s attitude as lawless. They have given him 72 hours to get the rest of the salaries released or face agitations from next week.
The President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu questioned the authority of the OSP to block the salaries.
“The misbehavior of the OSP may have to stop now, the principal of workman compensation should never be violated. If the OSP wants to deal with ghost names, he must refer the matter to the Ghana education service,” Mr Carbonu said.
For his part, the President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, King Ali Awudu expressed surprise about the auditing procedure of the OSP.
“For unions, we can do a lot of stuff, we are asking that the over 400 teachers should have their monies released to them. Mind you, Controller has paid the money, the money has hit the account. It is the OSP who has blocked their salaries,” King Ali Awudu stated.
The General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah Tanko, also gave the OSP 72 hours to get the rest of the salaries paid.
“If OSP has any problem, the OSP should go to the Director-General who is the employee and the CEO of the Agency. So, the OSP jumping all the protocols, that is unfortunate and this thing must not be tolerated,” he warned.