Savannah College of Education staff strike for migration to public payroll

Approximately 170 teaching and non-teaching staff at the Savannah College of Education in Daboya have withdrawn their services, demanding their immediate migration onto the government payroll. The industrial action follows the institution's transition to a public college in March 2025. Despite this status change, employees report they have yet to receive official government salaries, leading to significant financial distress and administrative instability within the college. The strike is being led by local branches of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana (CENTSAG). Staff members report that the delay in payroll migration has persisted for months, with some claiming up to 19 months of unresolved remuneration issues dating back to the pre-transition period. Currently, some of the highest-paid staff members are receiving less than GH₵2,000, an amount described as inadequate to meet basic needs. The associations are also calling for the establishment of a formal Management Unit and a governing council to oversee the college's administrative transition. The ongoing industrial action has severely disrupted campus operations, particularly affecting students residing at the Daboya campus. The closure of the college's kitchen has halted meal services, creating an urgent welfare crisis for the student body. Staff have expressed concerns that the lack of financial security could lead to high rates of attrition, which would ultimately diminish the quality of education at the newly public institution. They have stated they will not return to work until the government takes concrete steps toward their payroll migration. In response to the crisis, the Overlord of Gonjaland, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene directly. The traditional leader emphasized the necessity of resolving the staff's grievances promptly to prevent further disruption to the academic calendar and student wellbeing. As the only public college of education in the Savannah Region, the institution's success is considered vital for the local education sector.