Deputy ranking member on the Ghanaian Parliament’s Education Committee, Clement Abass Apaak, says Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum cannot be exonerated in the ongoing strike action of teachers over the newly appointed Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr. Eric Nkansah.
Three teacher unions have declared a strike to demand the removal of the newly appointed Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr. Eric Nkansah.
Leadership of the three unions –National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT)–declared the strike on Friday, November 4, 2022.
This comes on the back of the expiration of an ultimatum the teacher unions gave the government to rescind its decision on Dr. Nkansah’s appointment.
Addressing this development in an interview with Don Kwabena Prah on Happy98.9FM’s ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ political talk show, Clement Apaak said, “You cannot exonerate the minister for education from what is going on. The minister makes a recommendation to the president on who is appointed or disappointed in the sector. In the appointment of Dr. Nkansah, the letter from the presidency made reference to the recommendation from the minister.”
He however explained the minister didn’t go through the due process in making this recommendation.
Per norm and regulations, the minister of education prior to making any recommendation to the presidency must first go to the GES council with the name of the nominee for deliberation, and onward approval or disapproval. Based on the results from the GES council, the minister then goes to the president with a name for either an appointment of disappointment “but that didn’t happen with the appointment of Dr. Nkansah.”
According to him, the minister’s refusal to go through the due process is what has landed students in a situation which could have been averted.
Clement Apaak advised the minister to take an introspection into his leadership style if he wants the education sector to thrive.
By; Joel Sanco
