A group, known as the Association of Aggrieved Teachers of Legacy Arrears has stated emphatically that it was disappointed in the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for allegedly bringing forth an inaccurate account on the payment of Legacy Arrears of Teachers.
The aggrieved teachers in a statement issued on September 5, 2020 , said it was disappointed in GES for claiming to have paid all legacy arrears.
”We have read with shock and disbelief, a statement issued on the 2nd of September, 2020 by the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service ( Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa) claiming to have paid our salary arrears.” The group said.
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”We are not so much surprised for a government appointee to demonstrate this absolute sign of unflinching support for the government.”
”But we as affected teachers want to state categorically clear that the statements published by the Ghana Education Service are blatantly misleading and the public should disregard it with the contempt it deserves.”
”As we speak, this issue of salary arrears which dates back to 2013 has created so much discomfort for us as affected teachers. And we want to make it emphatically clear that we are not happy with the way the government is handling it.”
We are so much disappointed in our employer, the Ghana Education Service (GES) for making such false claims. The cheating, lies and frustration surrounding the payment of this money have become too much.”
”We are by this press release sounding a strong word of caution to the GES that they should not be under the orders of their political masters by whose Command we believe they are acting else the end results will be unpleasant for both of them, GES and the government.”
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GES argument
The Ghana Education Service (GES) said it has verified and fully paid every teacher and every member of staff of the service who deserve the legacy arrears.
The last tranche of payment was made in December last year to 1,200 members of staff.
It, however, said that management, after further checks on some 2,558 members of staff whose eligibility was contested, had approved payment to them and so they were being processed by the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) for payment.
Better particulars
The management of the GES said it had requested that teachers whose names were on the list who could justify that they were entitled to be paid legacy arrears to submit details to their respective regional/district directorates of Education,” the statement said.
It listed the details to include appointment letters, the assumption of duty letters and first pay slips, while those whose legacy arrears related to promotion were to provide promotion letters and payslips on which the first salaries on the promoted grade were paid.
“This approach has become necessary because the data available to the GES do not justify the payment of the legacy arrears to such people,” Prof. Opoku-Amankwa explained and expressed the hope that the measure would set the records straight and bring finality to the legacy arrears issue.
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Teachers Disagree with Submission of Document
The aggrieved teachers said the only thing that can be used as evidence of payment of salary arrears is the bank account and not data from Audit service or Controller And Accountant’s General or even Ghana Education Service.
”The only thing that can be used as evidence of payment of salary arrears is the bank account and not data from Audit service or Controller And Accountant’s General or even Ghana Education Service.”They said.
”Our bank accounts indicate that the arrears have not been paid.”
2015 Trained Teachers
The teachers said that aside from the fact that some people from 2013, 2014, and 2016 have received some of the salary arrears, not even a single person from the 2015 year group has received the arrears of which they have documents to prove their claim.
”We can authoritatively state that, aside from the fact that some people from 2013, 2014, and 2016 have received some of the salary arrears, not even a single person from the 2015 year group has received the arrears and we have documents to prove this claim.”They said.
Stakeholders’ Support
The aggrieved teachers said they are calling on the National Peace Council, National House of Chiefs, Catholics Bishops Conference, Opposition political parties, Conference of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches, and other Civil Society Organizations to intervene on their behalf.
”We are therefore calling on the National Peace Council, National House of Chiefs, Catholics Bishops Conference, Opposition political parties, Conference of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches, and other Civil Society Organizations to intervene on our behalf.”They indicated.
September ultimatum
The teachers said they are still going by the September 2020 ultimatum, how the government is going to team up with the responsible offices to ensure the payment reaches their accounts by the end of the month is their back case.
”Until then, we are still going by the September 2020 ultimatum, how the government is going to team up with the responsible offices to ensure the payment reaches our accounts by the end of the month is our back case.” They said.
”The media and the public should once again disregard the claims by the Ghana Education Service since there is no iota of truth in their claims.” They concluded.
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Source: EducationGhana.net
