The Government versus Workers- The Lecturers versus Students, Who Suffers?

BY: Comrade Bright Selasie Avornyo

No one will give in to his or her friend to be cheated on his or her profession

anyhow without any remonstration no matter the friendship. Not long ago, the

Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana (POTAG) had gone to a “holiday” as a

layman may describe it to mean strike since it has become of the finest means of

getting authorities’ attention to addressing ones’ needs and concerns, that is,

when all attempts to settle ones’ grievances prove futile.

Not long ago, the South African workers prone the street of South Africa to

show

President Jacob Zuma, the level of democracy attained by the citizens and to

also remind the government of their existence as a sovereign nation, who are no

longer under the brutality of the apartheid system, introduced by the so-called

elite of the Whiteman, who did not think of the right of the African brother,

but how to exploit and satisfy their parochial interest. Does that not affect

productivity at the end of the nationwide strike by our fellow blacks in the

south?

But what I seem not happy with is after the enthusiasm exhibits by the citizens

in the just ended World Cup, which is the first ever hosted on the African soil

and the pop star, Shakira thinks Africa is going to take the cup just as the

gallant Ghana’s Under Twenty team demonstrates on the same African soil, Egypt,

so she entitles her song entitled “It is time for Africa” which refused to

vacate my memory. Well it is true that one can force a horse to river side but

one cannot force it to drink water. Her song was inspiring but Ghana’s Asamoah

Gyan, who should have proved her right, missed the target for free (the penalty

to score Uruguay). Hmm, that day will never be forgotten as that satanic hand

skipped the ball from turning into a goal.

Did you say that I am being too talkative to remind you of your wounds? Any

way, it is a history that has cropped up and the only alternative is to let it

out of the back if not I will never be set free. So, does this mean the wind

about one spirit, one people with a common destiny blows through the veins of

the ordinary Ghanaian, that their counterparts had embarked on a nationwide

strike and the world had captured it so they also do the same, what? But is this

example worth copying from a friend?

I have never “enjoined” any strike like that of the 2007 strike at the Senior

High School and Junior High School level especially the second cycle one, how it

affects me and most of the students across the length and breadth of Ghana. The

most painful thing is, I was in the final year by then and teachers were to

teach the most vital examination points. Some S.R.C. executives write to

persuade the aggrieved teachers but at that time persuasion was not the dying

egg being looked for but rather money. Those of us who were not fortunate could

not have the chance to attend any extra-classes organized by the various private

schools and those who were made it to the top. Most of us had to re-sit before

making it to the university at last. I do not know if government cared less or

did care but all that I can say is we suffered the fate of not having access to

quality education. What are we doing to Ghana’s education? What even annoys the

teachers at that time for sure is the pronouncement by the former Minister of

Education when he says government is to employ local teachers. I believe for

fact he did not go escort free without any human curse for saying that

heartbreaking political words.

Here I am, another disrupting strike by the University Teachers Association of

Ghana (UTAG) have hit us so bad like AK47 bullet fires by the angry soldier man

on operation, who is targeting an enemy at a distance. Some of the UTAG

Presidents describe the tragedy as a withdrawal of service in one particular

area and not a strike. What ever they mean, student are suffering.

If my history repertoire reminds me very well, these UTAG members went on

strike for about five good months before, and it will not surprise me if this

may also lasts for that same time or even be more or called off very soon. What

at all is troubling them that the right authority cannot make the right

negotiations and see to whatever grievances they have and stop jeopardizing the

poor Ghanaian students’ future? Even the security personnel themselves had just

recovered from a strike in Ghana.

But, did I here you say that some strike in this country are backed by some

political powers in order to sabotage a particular government? If it is so, why

then do they wait for a disruptive political party, who will not think of

bettering the life of its people, but to mislead thus? This is never linked to

any one political party but to all political parties in and across the length

and breadth of Ghana. Did you also say that when the strike happens like this

the officials, who ought to address the needs and concerns of the aggrieved

workers that grade their sweats worth a priceless jewelry like that of the Nno

Ego’S beauty, may not think of lasting solution but to bribe the leaders of the

various workers union so, that the group itself cannot be seen to, and later,

their leaders who do think of nothing but what they will get, speak to their

followers that the intended strike should no longer be continued. Well, you may

say you are alluding to that of the Amu Djoloto’s satiric example cited in his

book Money Galore.

By the way, when are the lectures considering coming back to their students,

who have missed them as if they are still babies looking for their mothers’

breasts to play with after they have been denied the right to enjoy the breast

milk for quite a long time? You see, when it happens like this, one good turn

definitely deserves the other, because the ‘lazy’ ones among the lectures may

sing thousands of glorious songs to their maker, praying that the strike never

comes to an abrupt end even if there is any light at the end of the tunnel that

shows the ends of the strike. They may therefore deny for sure, that there is no

such light at the end of the tunnel. But, do you also know very well that there

are those lecturers, who think of their students as their own biological

children thousand times a day, crying and praying feverishly, that the strike

does not continue in their secret hearts like the slave, who cannot stand before

his master and make any noise of pain. This can only happen to those who see

teaching as a hobby and believe in the adage that teachers have their rewards in

heaven even if they are not abreast with the Ten Commandments.

But Sela, what was that I heard from the ‘Konkonsa’ people (the journalists),

the bad omen of another strike may be about to commence? I heard, the POTAG

members are agitating seriously that if the government did not answer their call

they will soon resume their strike, ebei, was it not yesterday that the Vice

President commissioned the Falcon 900 Aircraft? So could you say because of that

the aggrieved lecturers want at all cost their arrears to be paid before the

single spine takes off with them? Or is the strike borne out of the fact that

President John Evans Mills’ two-week business tour in China and Japan and has

brought home money trigger the lectures to think that the money should be used

to pay their five years salaries, but never think that the money is earmarked

for another thing else?

Again and again, where will the government get the money to settle the

lecturers that is taken so long like this? I will never keep mute until the

right thing is done. Even if my mouth is pinned down like how Jesus Christ was

nailed on the cross just for the sake of saving sinners’ soul from sharing the

bitterness with Satan in Hell, I will manage to vomit whatever is in my heart

because someone advises me never to be keeping things within me because the

words will grow in me and germinate like a three. Lecturers are on strike so,

what about the Fee-paying Students that I have been told are not under the

subvention of the government’s subsidy and how do they benefit from what they

have paid for. Let me wailed like a hungry lion that “GOVERNMENT! GOVERNMERNT!

GOVRNMENTTT! POTAG! POTAG! POTAGGG! UTAG! UTAG! UTAGGG, please come to a common

agreement, we students are suffering and need youuuuu!!!!

allknowing00@yahoo.com