Ghanaian press focuses on nationwide strike by University staff, others

APA – Accra (Ghana)
The declaration of indefinite nationwide strike to demand better conditions of service and pension by the Senior Staff Association of universities in Ghana and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG) dominates the headlines of Ghanaian press on Thursday.
The Graphic reports that the Senior Staff Association of universities in Ghana and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG) have declared an indefinite nationwide strike to demand better conditions of service and pension.
The National Chairman of the association, Isaac Donkoh, who signed and issued a press statement indicated the decision was occasioned by the government’s inability to address issues of the welfare of universities senior staff, particularly concerning critical issues of pensions and condition of service as contained in the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
The strike started Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
He disclosed that the government upon countless plea had failed to release the Tier-2 Pension contributions to the Board of Trustee for effective investment management in accordance with the Pension Act and also the immediate reversal of the illegal cancellation of their overtime allowance which was in sharp contravention to the agreed condition of service signed between them and the Government.
All efforts to get the government to release the pension funds and the restore the overtime allowance, had proved futile, hence the decision to embark on an indefinite strike.
The newspaper says that the immediate past Dean of the School of Law of the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Quashigah, is indifferent of the idea that introducing party-based local government system will help to address the challenges associated with the current non-party-based local government system in the country.
For him, the current non-party-based local government system had failed to address some of the basic needs of the people due to lack of strong state institutions.
He was of the view that if state institutions were empowered to work effectively and efficiently as expected, the local government system would work in the interest of all citizenry.
Prof. Quashigah was speaking at panel discussion on the topic: “Local Government System, Election 2024, Security and Peace building” at the 75th Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) held at the University of Ghana on January 9, 2024.
The main theme for the 2024 ANYSC was: “Nurturing Resilience: Adopting Technology and Embracing Humanism for Sustainable Development.”
The Annual New Year School is a flagship programme of the University of Ghana under the School of Continuing and Distance Education, College of Education, which has championed national dialogue on developmental, social and political discourse to influence and impact policy, social cohesion and growth.
IDEG was one of the organisations that partnered the university to organise the 75th ANYSC.
The Ghanaian Times reports that Ghana will from February 9 to 14 participate in this year’s Reconnect¬ing Afro Root Carnival at Salvador, Bahia in Brazil.
To be held on the theme ‘Reconnecting with our Roots,’ the carnival is aimed at bringing together blacks of African descent for cultural exchanges and development of partnerships within the business commu-nity.
Ghana’s participation in the global event would be led by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ghana Tourism Author¬ity (GTA) in partnership with the Ghana Embassy in Brazil.
The delegation would include musicians, cultural artists, members of the business community and the diaspora.
Launching Ghana’s participation in Accra yesterday, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey, said the carnival presented opportunity for all participants to learn and teach the histo¬ry regarding slavery and the consequential resistance which led to its abolition.
He noted that the reverse effect of slavery was the trafficking of Africans to different parts of the world, leading to loss of family ties.
He said the carnival would help in recon¬necting blacks from all part of the world and explore trade and business opportuni¬ties
Mr Mantey reiterated the government’s commitment to creating the linkage be¬tween Ghana and blacks in other parts of the world to further investment opportu¬nities.
Abena Busia, Ghana’s Ambassador to Brazil, said Ghana and the black population of Brazil shared similarities in culture, heri¬tage, music and other way of life.
The invitation to Ghana to participate in the carnival, she said also paved the way for black Brazilians to visit Ghana on special occasions for cultural exchanges.
She urged Ghanaian businesses to take advantage of the festival to identify strate¬gic investors to help grow and expand their businesses.
The newspaper says that Ghana insists they are ‘100%’ behind boss, Chris Hughton, after a row with a fan followed their shock Africa Cup of Nations defeat by Cape Verde.
The Black Stars lost 2-1 to the minnows on Sunday and the loss was Hughton’s fourth defeat in 11 games in charge.
Some reports suggested Hugh¬ton, 65, was assaulted by a fan when the team returned to their hotel but Ghana said it was only a ‘verbal altercation.’
“We’ve dealt with the issue inter¬nally,” a Ghana spokesperson said.
Former Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Newcastle manager, Hughton, became Ghana coach in February 2022, having previously been a technical advisor in the Black Stars’ set-up.
Four-time AFCON champions, Ghana, were unbeaten in their first five games under the former Tot¬tenham full-back but have lost four of their past six.
Two of those defeats have been significant upsets, the loss to Cape Verde following on from a World Cup qualification shock at Co¬moros in November.
“We have had a meeting with the coach and gave him 100% assur¬ance that we are solidly behind him,” Ghana FA’s Spokesperson, Henry Asante-Twum, told BBC Sport.
“We think it is possible for the team to win the two remaining matches to make it to the next round.”
Asante-Twum said that security at Ghana’s hotel had been ‘beefed up’ after the incident that involved a single supporter who confronted Hughton about the team’s un¬der-performance.
“There was only a verbal con¬frontation,” he added. “He was actually trying to get closer to the coach and then the security on duty intervened – there was no arrest but security took him away from the scene.
“Normally after games, tempers are high, emotions go up – we will try as much as possible to not allow this thing to repeat itself.”
GIK/APA