Ghana Government Urged To Consult Polytechnics On Conversion Matters

Professor Abdulai Salifu Asuro, the Rector of Tamale Polytechnic, has appealed to the Government to give the Polytechnics more representation on the teams and committees working on the conversion of the polytechnics into technical universities.

Prof Asuro who made the appeal at the 9th Congregation of the Tamale Polytechnic in Tamale, at the weekend, stated that it was the surest good way for the laudable dream to grow and bear the expected fruit.

“Certain key decisions involving the conversion are taken before the Rectors and Polytechnic Community are asked to contribute,” he complained.

“It is not to the blind side of everyone here that similar well-thought out ideas have failed not for the lack of funds but because the targeted beneficiaries had not been adequately consulted or involved in the implementation process of such projects”.

Prof. Asuro also said the thorny issue in relation to the government’s support for research and the replacement of the existing book and research fund with a research fund needed to be discussed thoroughly with the Polytechnic Teachers’ Association of Ghana”.

He said: “I am reliably informed that tempers are getting flared on our various Polytechnic campuses because of this”, and appealed to the Government to take urgent steps to address the issue.

Prof Asuro gave the assurance that the Tamale Polytechnic would continue to introduce industry-specific, specialised programmes to cater for the country’s industrial needs.

A total of 1,560 students graduated with Higher National Diploma Certificates in various disciplines, including Accounting, Marketing, Agricultural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Statistics, Building Technology, amongst others.

Alhaji Abdullah Salifu, the Chairman of the Governing Council of Tamale Polytechnic, said: “In a bid to ensure quality teaching and learning at the School of Engineering, the Polytechnic has procured an auto-diagnostic equipment through the Skills Development Fund to set up an ultra-modern auto-diagnostic laboratory to diagnose vehicles”.

Alhaji Salifu appealed to the Ghana Education Trust Fund to release more funds for the completion of infrastructural projects at the Polytechnic to facilitate even a better teaching and learning environment.


Source: GNA

Nine POTAG members in the Western region receive death threats

Nine members of the Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana, POTAG, in the Western region are living in fear after they received death threats from anonymous persons.

The lecturers suspect the threats are in connection with a protest against leave allowances granted the Rector of the Takoradi Polytechnic, Rev Prof Daniel Nyarko.

Prof Nyarko has begun a four year accumulated leave and is supposed to be paid an amount of GH¢100,000, Joy News' Western Region correspondent Francis Whajah reported.

But some members of the Polytechnic Council have challenged the amount.

Citing section 31 of the Labour Law, the critics argued that accumulated leave cannot be paid for. It is unlawful, they maintained for the school to dole out a whopping amount of GH¢100,000 to Rev Nyarko.

At best they are ready to meet the Rector half way, something supporters of the Rector have also kicked against. They want the Rector to be paid fully what he is entitled to.

Critics of the payment, say they have received countless death threats and have reported the threats to the police.

The death threats follow the gruesome murder of one of the members of the Association a few weeks ago.

POTAG president James Drugrah said the reported death threats are regrettable.

He said he would have thought that at a time they are thinking about converting the polytechnics into technical universities, everybody would work together for the good of the polytechnics.

He does not understand why people will begin sending death threats to others and charged the police to look into the allegations.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

POTAG Warns Gov't: Pay Us Or....

The Polytechnic Teachers’ Association of Ghana (POTAG) has called on the government to immediately pay the 2014/2015 Book and Research Allowances due its members to ensure a smooth academic calendar. “It should be noted that the delay in the payment of the allowance is mounting tension on the various polytechnic campuses”. A statement read at a press conference at the end of its national congress in Sunyani and signed by the association’s National President, Mr James Dugrah, said POTAG was aware of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was signed between it and the government before the payment of the 2013/2014 Book and Research Allowance. “However, it was never agreed upon that the Book and Research Allowances have been scrapped. Thus until a new condition of service is agreed upon between the two parties, the old condition of service is deemed to continue as per Section 107 (3) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651). The statement said the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) engaged POTAG on two occasions concerning the negotiation and condition of service. It said since that last meeting on January 28, 2015, all attempts to get the FWSC to continue negotiation had failed, adding that “POTAG is expressing our grave disappointment and frustration and a seeming deception concerning this issue”.

Source: Graphic.com.gh