President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has rubbished claims that GH¢ 49 million has been released by the Finance Ministry to clear the legacy arrears owed teachers.
Debunking rumours of the release of GH¢ 49 million as payment for the arrears owed teachers, Madam Philipa Larsen explained that the amount in question was a transfer grant released in September for teachers.
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“It’s never true that government has released such amount to teachers. The GH¢ 49,998,626.72 being reported by the media as payment for the legacy arrears was a transfer grant released in September to teachers and that is not the reason for our strike,” she told sit-in host Captain Smart on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Thursday.
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A letter dated September 10, 2019 signed by Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, directing the Controller and Accountant-General to release some GH¢49,998,626.72 to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to enable it pay outstanding transfer grant and other allowances to qualified staff of GES from 2017 to 2019 was circulated in the media as payment for the legacy arrears owed teachers.
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GNAT, National Association of Graduate Teachers and Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday, December 9, 2019, following what they described as government’s lack of commitment to pay legacy arrears owed their members.
Listen to Philipa Larsen in audio above:
Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy