Govt approves new salary structure for Polytechnics

Koforidua, Oct. 5, GNA - The Ministry of Finance has given approval for the implementation of the new salary structure for Polytechnics with effect from October 1, 2003. The Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu disclosed this at the first congregation of the Koforidua Polytechnic on Saturday at Koforidua.

Students of the Polytechnic who graduated from 1999 to 2001 in High National Diploma (HND) in Marketing, Purchasing and Supply, Accountancy and Statistics were awarded with Diplomas. Ohenenana Yeboah Darkwa, who had Second Class Upper in Purchasing and Supply was awarded the over-all best grandaunt award for the 1999 group, Mr. Emmanuel Thompson, who had First Class in Statistics was awarded the over-all best grandaunt prize for 2000 and Miss Esther Yirenkyiwah Opoku, who also had First Class in Statistics won the over-all best grandaunt award for 2001.

Mr. Baah-Wiredu said the government was aware of the poor conditions of service of workers in the Ghanaian public sector institutions, including those in the Polytechnics and the Universities but explained that it had been proved that no salary could and has been able to satisfy workers. He therefore, urged the University and Polytechnic lecturers, while pursuing their legitimate demand, to take advantage of the Faculty Development and Research Grants that have been released recently by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to improve upon their individual situations. Mr. Baah-Wiredu charged Councils of Polytechnics and Universities to widen the bases of their internally generated incomes to improve on the facilities in their institutions. He congratulated the Koforidua Polytechnic for raising 1.2 billion cedis from its internally generated funds and using that to start a 12-unit classroom block which has now been taken over for completion by the GETFund.

Mr. Baah-Wiredu said the GETFund has provided a total of 91.96 billion cedis for development projects in the ten Polytechnics in the country, of which Koforidua Polytechnic alone would receive 9.12 billion cedis. He observed that tertiary education in the country is under serious threat where, with the least opportunity students resort to boycott of lectures without exhausting negotiations and taking into account the waste of resources, which could have gone to improve the situation of the lecturers and faculties. Mr. Baah-Wiredu therefore, advised students to utilize institutional channels in resolving problems rather than turning themselves into pressure groups on government to dictate to their institutions contrary to the instrument setting up those institutions.

The Principal of the Polytechnic, Dr. Henry Appiah said as at the end of 2001, the Polytechnic has turned out 607 High National Diploma (HND) grandaunts since it's establishment in 1996. He said the Polytechnic, which started with 49 students now has a student population of 2,207 of which 1,546 or 70 per cent are male and 661 or 30 per cent are female. Dr. Appiah called on government to do all within its powers to resolve outstanding issues of conflict within the Polytechnics and other educational institutions in order to permit effective teaching and learning to go on undisturbed. He explained that, if the educational institutions would succeed and the state's investment to be worthwhile, then there is the need for peace to prevail in the educational institutions and all issues which could cause disturbances by both students and lecturers to be avoided.

Dr. Appiah called for good resourcing of the National Board for Professional and Technical Examination (NABPTEX) to facilitate its quality control mechanism in the Polytechnic system at the time when the Polytechnics are aspiring to award their own diplomas. In a welcoming address, the Chairman of the Polytechnic Council,

Professor Sir Kwabena Boakye-Yiadom thanked the GETFund Board for supporting the infrastructural development of the Polytechnic, which has transformed the situation of the Koforidua Polytechnic from that of despair to that of confidence and good hope. He called for the review of the Polytechnic Law of 1992, (PNDC 321) to include Koforidua, Wa, and Bolgatanga Polytechnics in the law as well. Prof. Boakye-Yiadom advised the grandaunts to be honest in all their dealings and always remember that corruption never pays.