GES retrieves vehicles seized over judgment debt

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has retrieved three vehicles that were seized in the Eastern Region over GHC3.4m judgment debt.

They include the official vehicles of the Eastern Regional Director of Education and the Regional GES Accountant and the Birim South District Director of Education.

The Koforidua High Court ordered the seizure following a suit against GES and the Attorney General in 2017 by some teachers over non-payment of salary arrears for three to four years.

The court, presided by supervising High Court judge, Justice Gifty Dekyem (Mrs) on December 18, 2020, entered the judgment including costs and interest to be paid to the plaintiffs.

However, GES in a statement issued by its Public Relations Office, explained the recruitment of the aggrieved persons was done without financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance.

These recruitments, the statement noted, were done at the District and Regional offices without recourse to the Headquarters.

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“In 2017, upon an appeal to the government through the Minister for Education, the Government decided that the appointments should be formalised and the GES through the MoE applied for Financial Clearance from MoF,” part of the statement read.

It added the Financial Clearance granted by the Ministry of Finance, was with effect from 2017, hence, the affected staff agreed in principle that they could only be paid from 2017 based on the Financial Clearance.

“All the people involved were therefore issued fresh appointment letters which took effect from 2017. In spite of the agreement, some of them decided to go to court to claim salaries for work done before 2017. The court ruled in their favour leading to the seizure of three GES Vehicles in the Eastern Region,” the statement explained.

Meanwhile, the statement has indicated the matter is being handled by the Attorney- General’s Department in Koforidua with discussions on the judgment debt payment ongoing.

Read the statement below:

RE: GES VEHICLES SEIZED FOR NON PAYMENT OF SALARIES

1. Before 2017, some people were recruited into GES without Financial Clearance from Ministry of Finance.
2. These recruitments were done at the District and Regional offices without recourse to the Headquarters.
3. In 2017, upon an appeal to government through the Minister for Education, the Government decided that the appointments should be formalised and the GES through the MoE applied for Financial Clearance from MoF.
4. The Financial Clearance granted by the Ministry of Finance, was with effect from 2017.
5. The affected staff agreed in principle that they could only be paid from 2017 based on the Financial Clearance.
6. All the people involved were therefore issued fresh appointment letters which took effect from 2017.
7. They have since been mechanised and have been receiving their regular salaries.
8. In spite of the agreement some of the them decided to go to court to claim salaries for work done before 2017.
9. The court ruled in their favour leading to the seizure of Three GES Vehicles in Eastern Region.
10. GES has since retrieved the three vehicles and discussions are going on as to how to pay the judgement debt.
11. The matter is being handled by the Attorney- General’s Department in Koforidua.
12. Full and detailed statement on the matter will be issued in due course.

SIGNED
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
GES