THE MINISTER for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, over the week, engaged with a large group of aggrieved university graduate teachers who picketed at the forecourt of the Ministry of Education, demanding urgent action on delayed staff IDs and unpaid salaries.
The teachers, who claimed they had been at post for months without pay, blamed the Ministry for delays in the validation and onboarding process, which they say has left them without salaries for over five months.
Addressing the concerns, Minister Iddrisu explained that the previous government posted 39,000 teachers without financial clearance, creating a fiscal and administrative challenge for the current administration.
“So whoever misled or deceived you, it wasn’t the John Mahama and Haruna Iddrisu administration,” he clarified. “Somebody probably deceptively tied a number of people to an unapproved recruitment. We are now auditing to confirm qualifications, postings, and eligibility,” he pointed out.
The Minister further stated that while the government sympathizes with the affected teachers, only a fraction—between 9,000 and 12,000 — can currently be absorbed within the approved budget.
“Until the validation is complete, I cannot give you any firm assurances,” he added, urging patience as the Ministry works to legitimately regularize eligible appointments.
The incident highlights growing tensions over public sector recruitment and payroll control, as the government grapples with tight fiscal space under IMF-supported reforms.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
