Government lives up to its promise and pays salary arrears

Accra, Aug. 27, GNA - The Government has fulfilled its promise to pay the salary arrears of workers of the University of Ghana, Legon, a Ghana News Agency investigations have revealed.

The Director of Finance of Directorate of the University of Ghana, Mr John A. Minlar, said the cheques for the three main banks on Legon Campus were deposited for payment Thursday while those for banks outside the University were deposited on Friday.

When GNA contacted the Manager of the Legon Branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank at 0900 hours on Friday he confirmed that the cheques were deposited on Thursday and they had started paying the workers. The Branch Managers of Standard Chartered and Barclays Banks in Legon; said they had received the cheques and had forwarded them for clearance and if they went through payment would start on Monday. Workers of the University on August 16 embarked on strike action to demand the payment of salary arrears that arose as a result of increases. The strike action affected the registration of students for the 2004 / 2005 academic year.

Consequently the Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu instructed the Controller and Accountant General to release 31.9 Billion cedis to pay the salary arrears. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana Professor Kwadwo Asenso Okyere facilitated the early payment of the arrears.