Political activist and social commentator, Rev. Charles Owusu has called on President John Mahama to consider reassigning Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu to another ministry, arguing that the challenges confronting the education sector appear to require a different approach.
According to him, education, agriculture and national security are critical sectors that should be treated as national issues rather than being subjected to partisan politics.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Rev. Owusu said the difficulties facing teachers and schools demonstrate the urgent need for greater attention to the education sector.
“We are not serious in this country. We are joking with certain things. In terms of education, agriculture and security, these should not be politicised; it is a national problem,” he said.
He recounted his experience during his time as an aspiring parliamentary candidate, saying some teachers in his constituency lacked basic furniture and were forced to sit on students’ chairs.
“When I was aspiring for MP, the whole constituency, there was no school where teachers had seats. They sat on students’ chairs, so I had to buy and supply them,” he said.
Rev. Owusu also raised concerns about the conditions under which some teachers live, describing some of their accommodation as deplorable.
He further complained about delays in the payment of allowances and other benefits due teachers, urging the government to take steps to improve their working conditions.
He said the challenges confronting the Education Ministry may warrant a reassignment of the sector minister.
“It seems there is a big challenge in the Education Ministry. The President should consider reshuffling him to another sector,” he said.
Rev. Owusu stressed that improving the welfare and working conditions of teachers would have a direct impact on the quality of education delivered to students.
“If we invest in the teachers, it will reflect on the education of the students,” he said.
He therefore urged the Education Ministry to engage the various teacher unions and listen to their concerns to find lasting solutions.
“The Ministry of Education should do well to have a meeting with the teacher unions, listen to their plea and give them whatever is due them,” he added.
His comments come as Ghana’s three major teacher unions have declared a nationwide industrial action effective Friday, September 25, 2026.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT-GH) announced the strike in a joint statement over what they described as prolonged delays in addressing critical concerns affecting teachers.
The unions said their decision followed growing frustration over issues relating to their conditions of service and the handling of those matters by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).
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