Pupils trick Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) officials
Officials of the Northern Regional Secretariat of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) created a hilarious scene Wednesday morning, to the surprise of onlookers at Choggu, a suburb of Tamale.
The officials took to their heels, whilst being hooted at by pupils of Choggu Demonstration School, upon a tip off that angry demonstrators, made up of hundreds of teachers, were storming their offices.
The GNAT secretary and his support staff, upon hearing the tooting horns of motorbikes and loud music amidst chanting of war songs, decided to run for cover.
The angry teachers, on reaching the premises, realized their targets had absconded which reportedly infuriated them, leading to some destruction at the premises of the GNAT Secretariat.
The teachers, all clad in red armbands, smashed the only notice board at the secretariat and inscribed on it “GNAT Executives Must Go”, accusing them of contracting a wicked deal for them while they sat in the comfort of their offices.
GNAT Executives have been accused, by members, of siding with government against the interest of the association. Their members have called for their immediate resignation to pave way for competent persons to take up their positions.
Teachers who gathered in Tamale therefore stormed the offices of GNAT to demand the removal of the executives and further petition government over their plight, but they were disappointed when upon reaching the area, the realized the secretary had absconded.
Led by their leaders, the aggrieved teachers marched to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) where a 6-point petition was presented to government through the Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba.
They resolved that if by March 31, the anomalies in their salaries were not addressed, they would be forced to embark on a full-fledged strike action instead of the current sit-down strike.
According to them, the demonstration was purely a teachers’ affair and had nothing to do with NAGRAT, GNAT or any political party and as such government should not give their demonstrations a political twist.
The rampaging teachers, who shouted “No Teachers no Minister”, when the Northern Regional minister showed up to take their petition, demanded that all professional allowances under category 2 be restored while efforts were also made to correct their wrong placements.
Isaac Oudrago, leader of the eye-red teachers, indicated that the time for resolution of anomalies, following the implementation of the SSSS, was now and until that was done, they would not teach again.
Mr. Mabengba commended the teachers for expressing their democratic rights through the demonstration, promising to forward their concerns to the president but appealed to them to exercise some restraint.
According to him, government was seriously working to resolve the irregularities in the new pay policy and urged the teachers to return to the classrooms, saying all would be well by the close of March.
Meanwhile, teachers in Walewale in the West Mamprusi District have continued their unabated demonstration, threatening that it could take more days if government refused to address their concerns.
The teachers, who said the implementation of the SSSS had made them poorer, also called for the dismissal of Smith Graham, CEO of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), for their current predicament.
They are demanding a public apology from him for the mess created, indicating that his comments sought to discredit teachers in the country.
Source Daily Guide
Category: Education
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