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Members of the National Association Graduate of Teachers (NAGRAT) will begin its nationwide strike on Friday. NAGRAT earlier threatened to lay down their tools by May 16 if government fails to pay them their 2011/ 2012 credit arrears. According to NAGRAT, government has also failed to address discrepancies in the payment of the arrears, payment policy and the second tier pension issues of Ghana Education Service workers among others. The Association further planned to demonstrate to press home their concerns but the demonstration was called off after the ban on noise-making was issued. Already the Northern Regional Branch of NAGRAT has instructed its members not to report to work. Addressing a news conference on Thursday, the Northern Regional President of NAGRAT, Mohammed Saani Alhassan, stated that government is dragging its feet despite the psychological trauma that teachers are going through. �Leadership is now at the crossroads to continue waiting hopelessly for government to respond late or not to even respond at all or to lose the trust of our hardworking members,� he noted. In that regard, he remarked that the Northern Regional Executive have declared a strike to protest the government�s unwillingness to address their concerns. �In view of the situation NAGRAT finds itself, the Northern Regional Executive hereby declares strike with effect from 16 May 2014 subject to call off or renewal,� he stated. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has been holding closed door meetings with various stakeholders to discuss concerns raised by the Association.