A teacher at Gambaga in the East Mumprusi District of the Northern Region, has told Citi News he is being haunted by thoughts of committing suicide following delays in the payment of his salary arrears for nearly four years.
The 35-year old teacher [name withheld] who has been working since 2012, says he has received only three months of his salary; a situation he said is making life unbearable for him and his family.
“Sometimes when I think so much, things like suicide come into my mind. Sometimes when I think, I say that government is being unfair to us. How can someone be working for over two years and only be paid for just three months. So when I’m thinking about those things, I just conclude that life is nothing.”
Government has repeatedly claimed that it is working towards the payment of all allowances and salary arrears owed some teachers across the country.
Some institutions are currently validating hundreds of documents in a bid to rid their system of ghost names who draw salaries from the government payroll. The validation follows threats by the teacher unions to lay down their tools.
Speaking to Citi News’ Franklin Badu Jnr, one of the affected teachers said he now resorts to borrowing to keep his family going.
“They [GES officials] only come and tell us to bring our documents so that they will pay the salary arrears; we give out the documents but nothing happens. Later on they come again and requested for the same documents. Yet nothing happens and we are suffering.”
The teacher also lamented that, “it’s very difficult for me because I have a wife and at the end of the month, the salary that I will take is not enough so sometimes we have to go and borrow money from somewhere all because of the arrears. If the arrears were to be paid to us, we can use it for some business. I don’t have money, if I don’t have money how can I provide for my family?”
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana