Mrs. Lucy Awuni, Upper East Deputy Minister, on Tuesday, chastised teachers in the Region for embarking on what she termed as “violent demonstration”.
The teachers engaged in serious confrontation with the security men at the entrance to the Regional Minister’s office, at the Regional Coordinating Council, because they were refused entry into the Minster’s office to present their petition on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
They threw stones at the police and wounded one police officer and destroyed memorial photographs, posted at the entrance to offices, at the Regional Coordinating Council.
The Regional Police Command had to reinforce his men when they realized that the situation was getting worse.
The Upper East Deputy Minister, who was then participating in the International women’s day function, had to abandon the programme half way, to address the teachers, since the Regional Minister was also out on a different assignment.
Addressing the teachers after receiving their petition, the Upper East Deputy Regional Minister expressed her disappointment about their misconduct and said their attitude in the presence of the school children would have serious negative impact on them.
“As teachers you are supposed to be role models to your pupils and students, so that they would become responsible citizens. If you have a concern, this is not the way to go about it”, she told the teachers.
She said government was doing everything possible to ensure that the anomaly associated with the implementation of the SSSS was rectified.
In a six-point resolution signed by leaders of the demonstrating teachers, and read by Mr Adam Mustapha Sherif, the teachers demanded a holistic review of the SSSS immediately, to ensure that the adjustments in the levels correspond with the increases in salary for the new levels.
“Whether consolidated or not, the professional allowance of teachers must be enhanced and restored immediately and all allowances due them also installed without delay”, the leaders demanded.
They stated that, they were embarking on a two-week “sit down” strike, after which they would withdraw their services completely if Government failed to address their concerns.
The teachers, from the basic and Senior High Schools, together with their students, embarked on the demonstration, marching through the streets of Bolgatanga Municipality and chanting songs to register their displeasure about the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).