At least seven leaders and 11 members of a group calling itself Coalition of Unposted Trained Teachers have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service for picketing at the Ghana Education Service (GES) on Monday.

The leaders, according to the Ghana Police Service led scores of protesters to represent about 3,000 teacher trainees nationwide to demand their posting.

Speaking to Joy News’ Piesie Nana-Yaw Safo, Superintendent Florence Owusu said the group alleged they were invited by GES to come and process their document for posting, although authorities of the agency denied the claim.

“We were here in the morning as early as 6 am and we saw about 70 of them at the premises of GES. They were addressed to vacate the premises since they have not been invited. But the leaders said they were not leaving. Some even came with their bags planned to sleep here till they have been posted,” she narrated.

The Superintendent noted that several engagements with the leaders of the group to vacate the premises proved futile adding that “At a point, they removed placards and other things to demonstrate.”

“We invited them [the leaders] for conversation but they refused so in a way they were forced into the car and sent to the regional office [Command] because they were inciting the people that they shouldn’t leave when we gave the instruction that they should leave.”

They were subsequently arrested for refusing to comply with directives by the police to retreat and have been sent to the Regional Police Command for questioning.

“This place is a security area, we have the Interior Ministry and other ministries here. It is a Monday, people have come to work and looking at the number at the premises, it is not good so we had to take them away,” she added.

Head of the Operations Unit of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kwesi Ofori also indicated that the actions of the teachers violate rules and regulations of the country.

“Any group or persons who want to undertake any public activity should inform the police five days ahead of time that allows the police to know the leaders and the route that will be used for the demonstration.

“But here we are the teachers on their own without recourse to the law, coming here to disturb business activities in this environment. We are all aware that it is not only Ministry of Education that is here there are other governmental sectors here,” he stated.

He then stressed that the police will ensure "order prevails."