President appeals to striking Ghanaian university lecturers to call off strike

The lecturers have vowed not to call off their strike.

Ghana’s President, John Mahama, has called on university lecturers in the country to call off their strike as government was already taking steps to resolve their grievances.

Mr. Mahama made the call on Friday in Accra when he met with a delegation from a Nigerian University in Ekiti.

An online statement from the presidency obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria, quoted Mr. Mahama as assuring that the lecturers’ demands would be addressed.

“I wish to take the opportunity to appeal to my own university teachers who, I am told, have just commenced a strike based on some issues that I believe have been resolved.

“I will appeal to them not to continue with the strike, we have to ensure that the system goes on undisturbed,’’ the statement said.

Ghanaian universities move to absorb already awaiting fresh students would be defeated if the strike continued.

The lecturers are demanding full payment of their market premium arrears and allowances which have been outstanding for a year, following Ghana’s migration to the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).

Sources revealed that a meeting on Wednesday between the Ghana Fair Wage and Salaries Commission and representatives of the lecturers could not resolve the contending issues.

The President, University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG), \Anthony Simmons, said in a statement on Friday that the strike would continue until the government settled all the grievances.

“If the money hits the accounts, definitely we will take a decision, but until that is done, we still stand by the strike,’’ it said.

(NAN)