The newly-selected running mate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, harassed teachers during her reign as the Education Minister, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has alleged.
According to the party, Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang masterminded all the inhumane treatments the NDC government served Ghanaian teachers.
Just after the astute scholar was announced as the running mate to the flagbearer of the NDC, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, yesterday, the NPP has opened a dossier of the former, spelling out why she would not add any worrisome impact on the 2020 elections.
A news conference addressed by the party’s National Communications Director, Buaben Asamoa, said referring to her performance as a political appointee, Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang hardly meets the expectations of someone who has a track record of fighting for women and their welfare.
“Need we remind anyone that it was during the tenure of Naana Jane that training teachers’ allowances were scrapped. It was done without paying any heed to the many appeals to reconsider the decision. Indeed, it was one of the things she was proud to have done,” Buaben stated.
He continued: “Teachers were the hardest hit when Naana Opoku-Agyemang was at the helm of affairs at the Education Ministry. Apart from their transportation allowances not being paid, Naana Opoku-Agyemang also introduced the practice of teachers working for two years without being paid and being restricted to being paid only three months back pay, no matter how long they had worked. This inhumane treatment meted out to Ghanaian teachers at the time was the brainchild of Prof.”
The NPP wondered the motive behind Mr. Mahama’s choice by picking her as his vice-presidential candidate, when her stewardship in the past brought “such heartaches to teachers, and trauma to her colleague women.”
While wishing the NDC well in this regard, the NPP also emphasised that it was ready to tell Ghanaians the danger she poses to the growth and development of the country.
“She superintended over a supposed progressively Free Senior High School, where students were made to pay GH¢1,500 to 311,251,700 per student in some schools. It is on record that monies budgeted for and approved by Parliament to be paid on behalf of students as day students were never paid till date.
“When she reigned as the Minister for Education, teachers were paid three months’ arrears for three years of work, sometimes more than that, and sometimes less than that. Yearly incremental jump in salary scales of teachers was wickedly cancelled. Allowance for trainee teachers was cancelled at a time they were paying only 9,000 beneficiaries, claiming it was huge on government’s purse. Today, we have reintroduced the teacher training allowances, and we are paying around 46,000 students,” the Adentan Constituency Legislator added.
He also indicated that research and book allowances of lecturers were cancelled, but same had been reintroduced by the Akufo-Addo government, which has also put together a stand-alone bill to dedicate enough resources for the fund.
He claimed there were no teaching and learning materials in schools under the period of Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang, and Ghanaians were insulted even when they asked for common chalk.
According to the NPP, Prof Naana Opoku-Agyemang was by the side of Mr. Mahama when he (Mahama) promised to build 200 Community Day SHSs, but could not fulfill it.
“We (NPP) can only conclude that the choice of Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman by Mr. John Dramani Mahama is clear indication that he does not take the Ghanaian electorate seriously.
But then, as our own Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has famously said, it does not matter who the running mate is, if the main man himself is indecisive and incompetent, we still have a problem. It is our view that after having looked so long and wide, the NDC still has a problem,” the address by Buaben ended.
The post Teachers were harassed under Jane -NPP appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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