The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr J.S. Annan says members of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) must justify their industrial action they started on Monday. He said the action does not make any sense given that the government had released money to pay their allowances – the reason for which they went on the strike. Members of NAGRAT started a strike on March 1st, accusing the government of lacking commitment to implement a Memorandom of Understanding the association signed with the Ghana Education Service regarding some outstanding allowances due members. The teachers said three months after the signing of the MOU, there was no clear demonstration of commitment to abiding by the agreement. But the Deputy Education Minster told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah he was at a loss as to the justification for the strike when the NAGRAT members at a meeting last Friday had been given documentary proof indicating that an amount of GH¢10 million had been released in respect of the outstanding allowances of the teachers. He admitted that the association signed an MoU with Ministry of Education and the GES on three key issues – interviews for promotions, invigilation for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the outstanding allowance - but explained the first two of those issues had been resolved. According to him, at a meeting with the aggrieved teachers, they were made aware that their third issue – outstanding allowances – had been tackled with the release of the money and therefore did understand why after that meeting the teachers should proceed to embark on a strike. Responding to Dr Annan, the General Secretary of NAGRAT, Mr Stanislove Nabomey said the Deputy Minister’s submissions were not entirely true. He said at the meeting “the Director-General (of GES, Samuel Bannerman Mensah) was made to read a letter which was supposed to have come from the Ministry of Finance instructing that an amount of GH¢10 million be used to pay for the allowances of teachers, guides to the blind and overtime allowances for watchmen.” Mr Nabomey said a copy of the letter was not made available to the teachers even after they requested that NAGRAT’s secretariat be furnished with one adding it “was only read to us.” He said “when we are satisfied that the letter actually carries that amount of money to be paid to us, that the due procedure is followed to a level where the money is released to our regional directors for payment to teachers, we will call a press conference and call off the strike. This was the agreement we reached with GES management on Friday, we did not agree with them that there will be no strike.” He said given the previous non-commitment behaviour on the part of the authorities, the teachers were no longer willing to put their faith in agreements without substantial results and evidence. “They say they have released an amount of GH¢10 million, yes, we have no reason to say it is not true and we have no proof it is true,” he stated, adding that if the teachers do get proof that payment of the money will not be unduly delayed, they will call off the strike. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana