Haruna Iddrisu pledges to pay teachers’ promotion arrears by October 30, saying he would have no honour if the deadline is missed.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has assured striking teachers that the government will settle all outstanding promotion arrears owed to them by October 30.

He said government acknowledges its responsibility as an employer to ensure that teachers receive all payments due to them, including arrears resulting from promotions.

Haruna Iddrisu gave the assurance at a two-day symposium and exhibition organised by the National Teaching Council (NTC) for teachers at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall in Accra.

Addressing participants, the Minister said government had accepted responsibility for meeting its financial obligations to teachers and was committed to clearing the outstanding promotion arrears.

He stressed that the government would honour its commitment to teachers, adding that failure to pay the arrears by October 30 would affect his standing as Minister.

The assurance comes amid growing concerns among teachers over delays in the payment of promotion arrears and other outstanding financial obligations.

The issue has also triggered industrial action by three major teacher unions — the Pre-Tertiary Education Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).

The unions announced a nationwide strike on September 25, demanding the payment of arrears owed to their members.

They have maintained that prolonged delays in settling the outstanding payments have created frustration among teachers and have called on government to take urgent steps to resolve the matter.