Police arrest teachers

One of the teachers in handcuffs.
Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday March 12, 2011.
Heavily armed police officers yesterday unleashed terror on unarmed teachers who had converged at the Teacher’s (GNAT) Hall in Accra to accompany their leadership to present a petition to the Ministry of Education over their condition of service.

Teachers in public schools throughout the country in the past weeks have been up in arms with the government over the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) which they feel they are being shortchanged.

The police from the Greater Accra Regional Command fired several rounds of teargas and rubber bullets to disperse a sizeable number of teachers at the main entrance of the GNAT Hall close to the Ministry of Information between 12:30 and 1pm what the teachers described as unwarranted.

In the process, the police arrested five teachers including two females but were released later on the orders of DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, the Accra Regional Commander who had joined the officers around 1:12 pm.

Chief Superintendent Joseph Oklu leading the operation told journalists at the scene that those arrested either hurled stones at the police or tried to resist arrest but the teachers disputed the claim.

He said the teachers were supposed to congregate at the GNAT Hall while their leaders were escorted to the Ministries to present the petition but the teachers defied the order and tried to hit the streets.

“They rebelled against their leadership and we did not think it was the right thing to do after our earlier agreement with their leaders,” he stated.

He said “they were not supposed to hit the streets but they tried to do so”, adding “we fired teargas to disperse them but we did not use rubber bullets. They were getting riotous and we needed to act swiftly.”

Chief Supt. Oklu alleged that it was the leadership that reported the behaviour of their members after they tried to run amok adding “we did not use brute force.”
But the teachers disputed the claims saying the police over reacted.

Forster Akufo of the Kaneshie Bishop Cluster of Schools who was one of the teachers arrested was seen in handcuffs and he told DAILY GUIDE that none of their colleagues threw stones.

“I did not throw any object or resist arrest. I was standing under the tree when one of their commanders ordered weapon wielding officers to fire at us without provocation.”

“They threw rubber bullets and teargas at us and beat me up. Is that how they reward us for sacrificing for the nation,” he asked rhetorically.

Richard Amanyo, another teacher corroborated Mr. Akufo’s version and said the police indeed fired rubber bullets and teargas.

“The police over reacted. We were asking our people to remain calm but an officer in mufti kept ordering his men to attack us and they did it with brute force.”

Emelia Adu, a teacher at Kaneshie Bishop 2, JHS said she was slapped and beaten up by the police without provocation.

The teacher who almost wept identified the same senior police officer in mufti as the one who had slapped her for no reason.

Patrick Mensah, one of the leaders told DAILY GUIDE that as a result of the disruption by the police, they have decided to suspend the presentation of the petition for now.

He said the police have taken issues personal because the teachers were asking for equal conditions of service as the one being enjoyed by the police.

“When they picked up some of our members and put them in their vehicles, they said teachers are challenging the single spine they are currently enjoying and that we cannot compare ourselves to them.”

According to DCOP Atinga, the leadership of the teachers met them and they agreed that there would not be any procession and that the leadership alone would present the petition at the Ministries.

She said the reports she got from her commanders indicate that the police did not use rubber bullets but admitted the use of teargas.

The police later showed the media a Land Cruiser which they claimed its siren was damaged by stone throwing teachers.

The Police Public Affairs Director, Superintendent Kwasi Ofori in a news release after the incident justified the use of force to disperse the teachers from demonstrating, cautioning teachers and other professional associations that the police would not take kindly to acts of lawlessness.

“The police had to resort to the use of teargas to disperse irate teachers whose activities and deeds constituted an act of lawlessness and vandalism at the TUC area in Accra on the afternoon of March 11, 2011.”

He continued: “The irate teachers wielding offensive weapons like stones, sticks and cutlasses attacked the police and innocent pedestrians and obstructed public ways and also caused damage to some police vehicles.

“All attempts by the police to maintain some sanity were fiercely resisted by the irate teachers, compelling the police to resort to the use of tear gas to maintain law and order.”

Strangely, Daily Guide was at the scene and observed that none of the teachers arrested held any offensive weapon.

In related development, the government has agreed to give all teachers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) a “Teachers Retention Premium” of Fifteen percent (15%).

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was yesterday to finalize the negotiation.
According to the MoU the negotiating parties were made up of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) of TUC on the one part and the Ministers of Finance and Economic Planning, Employment & Social Welfare, and Education, and the Ghana Education Service (GES), Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on the other.

It said “this premium shall be enjoyed by all professional and non-professional teachers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and not just the professional teachers alone as prevailed in previous arrangements.”

“In addition, certain categories of the non-teaching staff of GES who are members of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of TUC whose job functions provide critical support to teaching and learning such as Laboratory Technicians etc, shall also enjoy the Premium and the implementation of the agreed Premium shall take immediate effect from yesterday March 11, 2011.”

It said the government has set up a Technical Committee to correct the errors and a roadmap for the consideration of categories 2 & 3 allowances, meant for all public services employees, will be circulated on March 15, 2011.