The Communications Director of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has described as grandiose propaganda, allegations leveled against their Vice Presidential Candidate, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The NPP had accused the Prof. Jane N.O Agyemang, who was then a Minister of Education under John Dramani Mahama’s administration, of effecting four (4) ‘disincentive’ policies in the educational sector; key amongst which are the cancellation of Teacher Trainee allowances, and the introduction of three month pay policy.
But Sammy Gyamfi has rebutted these claims with some substantial statements and justifications.
Here are the allegations and the associated responses from the NDC
1 . Cancellation of Teacher Trainee Allowances
According to the NPP, Prof. Jane N.O Agyemang was responsible for the cancellation Teacher Training allowances.
NDC Response: Sammy Gyamfi says the decision was taken by cabinet and not an individual affair. However, he explained that, the policy was abolished to allow for an increase in enrollment at the teacher training colleges, and also offered a student loan scheme for beneficiaries to apply. He retorted that, the NPP sought to politicise this initiative with deceit, and later restored the Trainee allowance, ‘which they are owing in arrears of about 4 months’.
That notwithstanding, the NPP government has introduced a feeding fee which has further increased the cost of teacher training fees, which Mahama’s government absorbed.
2 . Paid Teacher 3 months salary
The NPP accused the NDC and Prof. Jane N.O Agyemang of withholding the salaries of teachers for many years, and ‘cruelly’ decided to pay just three months of their salary arrears.
NDC Response:Sammy Gyamfi responded by clarifying that the Ministry of Finance introduced as part of Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System (GIFMIS) policy, to check on payroll fraud. He justified that the move was in good faith to cleanse the payroll, even with that all arrears was processed for payment.
3 . Book and research allowances
The NPP alleged that the NDC cancelled Book and Research Allowances for lecturers at the tertiary level.
NDC Response: That the claim is a blatant lie. The NDC never abolished that, so the NPP’s claim of having restore it is grossly untruth.
4 . Prof. Jane N.O Agyemang signed a petition to free a rather ‘rebelious’ Montie trio
The allegation leveled against her by the NPP was that she endorsed a criminality by signing a petition to free the Montie trio who were charged for scandalizing the supreme court.
NDC Response: That the petition signed by Prof. Jane N.O Agyemang was to mitigate the harsh sentence slapped on them.