Our Students Have Done Nothing Wrong; Let’s Resume Work – Opanyin Agyekum To University Lecturers

Dean of the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum has welcomed the decision of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to suspend their strike action.

He is thankful the lecturers did not let their annoyance about how government is dealing with their grievances cause them to act in any manner that would have resulted in the students needlessly bearing the brunt of their actions.

The University teachers, who went on strike since the early part of last month on grounds that the government hasn’t met their demands for better conditions of service, on Monday, February 21, 2022 rescinded their decision following an emergency meeting held by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to evaluate their industrial action.

Temporarily Suspended

In a statement jointly signed by the group’s National President, Prof Solomon Nunoo and National Secretary, Dr Asare Asante-Annor, UTAG said it has “agreed to heed the advice of the eminent leaders, the Select Committee on Education and the court ruling to suspend our strike action…”

The suspension of the strike is expected to last till March 4 by which time UTAG says it hopes to have reached a favourable consensus with government during its deliberations.

Why UTAG Strike?

UTAG has been on strike since January 10, 2022, over government’s failure to review their conditions of service since 2017.

The Association wants government to restore their 2012 conditions of service which pegged the monthly income of entry-level lecturers at $2084 and also claims the current arrangement has reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.

Prof. Agyekum’s Take

Making his submissions on Peace FM’s morning show ”Kokrokoo”, Prof. Kofi Agyekum held a view that the lecturers including himself should heed the decision by their executives.

Advising the teachers to go back to the classrooms, Prof. Agyekum stated it isn’t the students’ fault that their conditions of service haven’t been resolved, and therefore urged them to resume work while the government and UTAG leadership works out a compromise.

“….accept it that the students haven’t done us anything wrong…our grievances are with government....if we see it that way, we won’t act to the detriment of the students because of government’s actions or inactions”, he added.

By:peacefmonline.com