Member of the Government Communications Team, Richard Manuribe, has said government is ready to pay promotion arrears to all 58,620 teachers on the master list, but that the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) cannot proceed until the Ghana Education Service (GES) submits the requisite validation documents.
Speaking on the ongoing teacher strike, Mr Manuribe, who is also a communicator for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the bottleneck lies in documentation rather than in any unwillingness on government’s part to pay. He noted that GES has so far provided documents for only 6,079 of the 58,620 teachers on the master list.
Mr Manuribe explained that the promotion input forms, the master list and the appointment or promotion letters are to be supplied by GES.
He said the Controller made this requirement clear at the initial meeting, since a promotion is anchored on an appointment letter and the CAGD needs those records to validate each case before payment.
He illustrated the point by explaining that where a teacher is promoted from one grade to another, the Controller cannot determine the appropriate grade or salary without the promotion letter and the change-of-grade input form. Without them, he said, there is no adequate basis to pay.
Government Says Funds Are Ready
He added that some staff have been promoted several years ago, which further underscores the need for accurate, complete documentation before any payment is made.
Mr Manuribe stressed that government’s readiness to pay is demonstrated by action already taken, pointing out that payment for the 6,079 validated cases has already been made.
“If government was not ready, we would not have gone ahead and paid the 6,079.”
Member of the Government Communications Team, Richard Manuribe
He described the remaining step as straightforward, GES submits the documents, the Controller validates them, and payment follows. On that basis, he argued, the matter should not have escalated into a strike.
Automatic Placement Versus Validation
Turning to the unions’ demand, Mr Manuribe said the teacher unions want automatic placement of all promoted teachers on the payroll.
He said it had been explained to them that the promotion arrears would be paid from January to date, but that the Controller could not pay on an automatic basis without validation.
He explained that the Controller’s position is grounded in the need to guard against payroll fraud, a recurring concern raised in Auditor-General reports.
According to him, every payment must be supported by proper documentation to protect the public purse.
“We must prevent payroll fraud and ensure that all documentation is presented to the Controller and Accountant-General, so that he can pay the salaries and teachers will benefit.”
Member of the Government Communications Team, Richard Manuribe
On the unions’ complaint about delayed negotiations, Mr Manuribe said the matter is a process and that, as far as promotion and payment of arrears are concerned, the issue has been settled and only awaits the provision of documentation.
He disclosed that the Minister of Education, the Controller and the relevant agencies were meeting the teacher unions in an emergency session to find a resolution, noting that government had been aware of the challenge for some time.
Government’s Concern for Teachers and Schools
Mr Manuribe said government is deeply concerned about the strike, particularly because schools have just resumed and the school placement process for Senior High Schools has only recently begun.
He emphasised that teachers play a critical role in society, as parents in every sector of the economy entrust their children to them daily.
He rejected suggestions that government does not intend to pay teachers, saying government has come to meet an existing backlog in the sector and is working to address it.
He also dismissed claims that the Controller and the Minister of Education are not doing their jobs, insisting that the agreed process is being followed.
Call for Collaboration
Mr Manuribe appealed to all parties to collaborate to resolve the matter, noting that teacher promotion and salary concerns arise year after year, and that the current administration is seeking a lasting solution.
He urged stakeholders to focus on completing the required documentation so that teachers can receive their entitlements without further delay.
As emergency talks continue, attention will centre on how quickly GES can submit the outstanding documents for the remaining teachers, and whether the strike can be called off once payments begin to flow.
READ MORE: CAGD Clarifies Its Role in Teacher Promotion Payment Delays
