Laid-off NFED zonal supervisors demand compensation

Adidome (V/R), Sept. 16, GNA - A number of zonal supervisors of the Non-Formal Education Division (NFED) of the Ministry of Education, in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region whose appointments were terminated in September 2004 after more than 10 years service have petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for compensation.

The petition signed by eight of the affected persons said the NFED Director's letter giving them only three weeks notice of the termination cited the lack of the minimum qualification as part of a restructuring exercise.

"We do not want to contest such an assertion, however, it will be pertinent to note that until the 'restructuring exercise' we had worked tirelessly with our level of qualification for well over 10 years without any blemish," the petition stated.

The petition quoted an audit report presented to Parliament on June 28 2004 on literacy delivery in which Ghana scored 97.5 percent. The petition also urged the Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment to intercede on behalf of the affected persons and obtain reasonable compensation for them saying: "If it was found out that we do not possess the necessary qualification to carry on with the work, it is just human that we should be laid off properly with a human face."