Peter Awini addressing the press
Members of the Polytechnic Teachers’ Association of Ghana (POTAG) have vented their spleen on government for the alleged delay in payment of their book and research allowances.
They have, therefore, called on government to as a matter of urgency; expedite action on the payment of the allowances which they claimed are long overdue.
According to them, the lecturers in the various technical universities and the polytechnics applauded the current Education Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh when he announced that government had voted an amount of GH?55 million for payment of the allowances to the lecturers.
“The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also stated after granting audience to the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG) that money for the payment of the book and research allowances had already been paid”, the POTAG members asserted.
The POTAG members continued “Lecturers have been hopeful that those announcements by government back in February 2017, would translate into payment of the allowances in May 2017 to close the academic year”.
“However, as we speak, there is no indication whatsoever as to when the allowances would be paid. Meanwhile, the real value of the money continues to decline”, they indicated.
Members of the Association were addressing a press conference in Takoradi yesterday, to demand the immediate payment of the allowances.
Speaking on behalf of the POTAG members, Peter Awini, President of POTAG at the Takoradi Technical University explained that the main purpose of the allowances was to support effective research as a tool for innovation, teaching and learning development.
He noted that payment of the allowances had been smooth until 2012/2013 academic year when government attempted a unilateral action to scrap the said allowances of the lecturer’s conditions of service.
“However, since 2012/2013 academic year, payment of the allowances has been unpredictable and delayed till the months of August to November and lecturers have to endure unnecessary tussle with government annually for the payment of the allowances”, he added.
He, therefore, urged government to walk the talk to help calm the tensions which continue to rise on the various campuses of the technical universities and the polytechnics.
Vehicle Maintenance Allowance
He mentioned that another allowance which payment had delayed unduly for one and half years since negotiations were successfully concluded in 2016, was the vehicle and maintenance allowance.
“Our vehicles require regular maintenance to facilitate our work and this allowance ought not to be in arrears for so long a time”, he stressed.
Governing Councils
Mr Awini told journalists that the absence of governing councils in the institutions was causing severe administrative impediments to the smooth running and direction of the technical universities in the country.
“The situation is unnecessarily slowing down the processes of ensuring efficient and effective running of the Technical Universities. We want to appeal to government to constitute the councils to avert further deterioration of the situation”, he pointed out.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi