President Mahama Directs Teachers to End Strike as Regional Unions Demand Evidence of Payments

President John Mahama has issued a formal directive to teacher unions to call off their ongoing nationwide strike, which has entered its fifth day and significantly disrupted pre-tertiary education across Ghana. Despite the President’s instructions for an immediate return to the classroom, regional branches of the leading teacher unions have signaled they will maintain the industrial action. The standoff centers on a series of unresolved financial grievances, including unpaid salary arrears, the non-implementation of the 20% Deprived Area Allowance, and the government’s failure to place newly promoted teachers on their correct salary scales following the expiration of the previous Collective Agreement in June 2026.

The government, through Minister of State and spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has identified a technical "payment discrepancy" involving the Accountant-General’s Department, the Finance Ministry, and the Ghana Statistical Service as the primary bottleneck. Mr. Ofosu stated that while the relevant departments believe they have fulfilled their obligations, a data reconciliation gap has delayed the final disbursement of funds. President Mahama has been briefed on the situation and has instructed the ministries of Education and Finance to resolve these discrepancies swiftly. The government has stressed that while it values teachers as essential professionals, the current disruption to the academic calendar is not in the national interest.

However, union leadership in the Upper West, Upper East, and Western Regions has rejected these government assurances, demanding "tangible evidence" of payment rather than verbal pledges. Union leaders, including Western Regional GNAT Chairman Stephen Kwame Amenu, highlighted that trust has been eroded by broken promises regarding the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission negotiations. In the Upper West, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association (PRETAG) held joint press engagements, insisting they will not return to the classroom until they receive verifiable proof that arrears have been cleared and salary adjustments have been implemented.

As the impasse continues, the teacher unions have urged their members to remain resolute in their demand for updated conditions of service that reflect their professional responsibilities. While the government maintains it is ready to pay once the statistical data is reconciled, the unions remain firm that "assurances are insufficient without credible evidence." This growing tension places significant pressure on the Mahama administration to bridge the trust gap. Should the relevant ministries reach a deadlock in their reconciliation efforts, the government has indicated that direct presidential intervention may be considered to ensure a swift resolution and the resumption of academic activities.