<<Print>>

The presiding member of the Atebubu Amanting District Assembly, Mr Issah Gariba who is also a district budget officer for the Ghana Education Service received a shock of his life when he learnt that he has been transferred by the GES for refusing to endorse the appointment of one Eric Osei as the new DCE for the district.

Speaking to the New Crusading Guide in a telephone interview, Mr Gariba described his transfer from Atebubu to Shwediem in the Ahafo Annor district as illegal and contrary to the rules and regulations of the Ghana Education service. Recently, the GES gave a directive that due to the headcount and validation of Teachers across the country, no teacher or GES staff should be transferred until the program is completed and it looks like the regional Director, Kwadwo Osei-Assibey has erred big time for taking this wild decision

Narrating the incident to the New Crusading Guide Mr Gariba who is the current Budget officer for GES in the district said that he left Atebubu to Kumasi last week Friday to write his end of semester examination for a master’s programme that he is undertaking at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

“Whiles in Kumasi, he received a telephone call from the District Director of Education that he is being sort after by the Regional Director of Education, Mr Kwadwo Osei- Assibey . “I told him that I am writing my end of semester exams and will visit him on Monday 16th May at Sunyani. So on Monday I went to his office in Sunyani to see him but he wasn’t available. However had apparently left a letter with his secretary to be given to me. The letter dated 16th May 2016 indicated that I have been transferred from the Atebubu District to Shwediem in the Ahafo Annor District with effect from 16 May 2016 without any reason. However, sources at the GES regional secretariat told me that this is being done as a punishment for my refusal to endorse the appointment of the newly appointed DCE for Atebubu Amanteng, Eric Osei.”

Asked what he would do about the issue, Mr Issah Gariba said he is currently pursuing the matter with the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) to deliberate over it. “I also intend to go to Sunyani on Monday to see the regional director for education over how we can resolve the matter”.

As part of the rules and regulations of the GES a Teacher or GES staff can only be transferred only when he has applied for transfer or an adverse finding has been found against him or her.

Interestingly, our information has it that because teachers are undergoing validation and headcount programme, a directive has been given by the GES headquarters that no teacher should be transferred until the process has ended. So it looks like the decision taken by the regional director Kwadwo Osei –Assibey to transfer Mr Gariba is illegal and contrary to the GES regulation

Several attempts to speak to the Regional Director of Education, Mr Kwadwo Osei Assibey proved futile as he failed to pick his call.