Three teacher unions, the Concerned Teachers Association, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the National Graduate Teachers Association (NaGRAT) have given the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) headed by Kissi Agyebeng a two-day ultimatum to unfreeze the bank accounts of some four hundred teachers.
As part of efforts to combat ‘ghost names’ on the government payroll, the Special Prosecutor has ordered that the accounts of some teachers be suspended.
However, the unions have accused the OSP of freezing the salaries of its members without prior notice or reason. At a press conference, they gave the OSP up to Friday, February 16, 2024, to unfreeze the accounts.
“Upon investigation, we realised that the OSP did not resort to even the Director General or any official of the Education Service before directing that these salaries be stopped. Whether it is not prudent to have informed the managers of these teachers; that is Ghana Education Service before directing that their salaries should be suspended? Is the OSP telling us that he has the power to direct workers not to be paid their salaries? On what basis?” said a representative of the Concerned Teachers Association.
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The unions also questioned the legitimacy of the OSP’s action of directing the freezing of bank accounts. According to them, only the courts have such power.
“The teachers were validated by their heads of institution that are supposed to validate them, meaning they are at post. The Controller and Accountants General pays the people and the Special Prosecutor goes to the bank that though the person has been paid, do not allow the person to access the account. In this country (Ghana), it is only the courts that have the power to garnish somebody’s account,” he added.
Angel Carbonu, president of NAGRAT warned that there would be dire consequences if the OSP does not follow their directive and unfreeze the bank accounts.
“If he does not de-freeze the salaries by Friday, he will have to be blamed for whatever that happens after Friday,” he said on Joy News.
According to the unions, the initial accounts suspended were one thousand three hundred but nine hundred have been released. They therefore call for the release of the remaining four hundred accounts.