NAPO vs CETAG: SLTF ordered to stop the deduction of TTAG dues from Trainees’ Allowances
The Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) has been ordered to stop the deduction of dues of members of the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana (TTAG) from their allowances.
The order is believed to be coming from the Ministry of Education headed by the Minister for Education,Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh.
According information gathered by EducationGhana.net, a letter has been copied to all Principals of the 46 Colleges of Education to that effect.
It is unclear what the leadership of the Association might be doing about the decision since it has never happened in the Association’s history.
Meanwhile,there was no Specific reason given by the Minister regarding the decision of the Ministry ordering the Students Loan Trust Fund to stop the deduction of dues by the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana (TTAG).
GENESIS OF THE DEDUCTION OF DUES BY TTAG
Since its existence in the late 90s,the membership of the Teacher Trainees’ Association of Ghana pays their dues through their monthly allowances at te Controller and Accountant Generals’ Department (CAGD) by the help of the then famous Teacher Union,the Ghana National Association of Teachers(GNAT).
The dues has been the main source of income used to run the affairs of the Association as enshrined in the Association’s Constitution. The Association had in no time in its history encounter a decision by government to stop the deduction of its dues from members allowances.
Mahama’s era and the Payment of Dues
During the era of the former President of the republic of Ghana, His excellency John Dramani Mahama,Teacher Trainees begun the payment of dues through the Principals and the various Student Representative Councils (SRC) at the various Colleges due to the supposed swapping of allowances for Students Loans to make way for additional intake of prospective Students.
Akuffo Addo’s Campaign Promise and The Comeback of Deductions
During the 2016 General Electioneering period,the then flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party,Nana Akuffo Addo promised the Trainees he shall restore the allowances when voted i to government .
Meanwhile,the then President Mahama indicated categorically his decision not to restore the allowances even if that would affect the outcome of the election,a statement that presumably sent him to a historic opposition.
When the NPP got elected to serve the country,the party restored the trainees allowances ,a situation that led to the deduction of the trainees dues directly from the allowances .
A situation that the Minister held i high esteem since he believed the Newly Trained Teachers must do since Colleges were now considered as Tertiary Institutions.
Trainees on the other hand held demonstrations to show their displeasure but that yielded no result.
A document supposed to have been signed by the Leadership with all stakeholders including the Minister was later rejected by the leadership of TTAG indicating their displeasure.
NAPO vrs CETAG
The Leadership of the College of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) went on a strike action that led to a Historic Closure of all 46 Public Colleges of Education iver their Books and Research Allowances.
The strike action lad to so many confrontations between CETAG and the NCTE,MoE and the NLC ,a situation that made a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education,describing CETAG as being Unreasonable being on Strike.
The Minister of Education subsequently ordered all Principals of the Various Colleges to close down the College and allow students to go home.
THE GENESIS OF STLF’s DEDUCTION OF TTAG DUES
The Student Loan Trust Fund began the deduction of dues from trainees allowances when its outfit was directed by government to begin the payment of allowances to trainees.
A decision many criticized since they believed SLTF’s duty was to give loans and not pay allowances.
Source: EducationGhana.net
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