TEACHERS’ BANK: A concern on Teachers’ welfare in Ghana

TEACHERS’ BANK: A concern on Teachers’ welfare in Ghana-By Ohenebakissi Agyekum

I am in this write-up disclosing some very important factors which lead to the struggles of many Ghanaian teachers preventing them from living to their expectations. The one and only major point needed to be considered by all members of the teaching fraternity at different levels is that GHANAIAN TEACHERS MUST HAVE THEIR BANK. Yes, it must be a dream to be achieved in the shortest possible time.

The struggle of Ghanaian teachers commences from the amount paid them as “government workers” comparing to the economic standard of living as in competition with other people in other sectors. Other incentives denied them. This in a way advises many of them to see their payslips as guarantees for loans to enable them to venture into other fields of work. Mostly into businesses; buy and sell, transport, etc. They, therefore, have their salaries which were supposed to be enjoyed after their hard toil enslaved to these financial institutions for unexpected and unimaginable durations heaped with unlimited interest rates and unrealistic insurance levies on such loans.

As some are luckily successful in their second jobs (businesses), many others also fail totally due to many identifiable reasons. Who is to be blamed? Some failures to these businesses could be related to unfaithful caretakers, inadequate supervision as the owner (the teacher) might be tired from the day work to be present for checks and balances; owner staying far away from the business location due to accessibility, and more. It is these and other factors that always place the Ghanaian teachers in the struggling wheel making the work not attractive in terms of living standards and conditions of service.

The pronouncement made by President; H.E Nana Addo Danquah in his interrogations with some group of people which indicated that he did not think people enter into teaching to become millionaires (Paraphrased: stands to be corrected), I consider it as the driving force for Ghanaian Teachers to fight for their freedom in their own capacity since governance has made its’ intentions known to all. I do not politicize the President’s statement but rather analyzed
it critically to find proves to the said statement. All findings made indicate that the statement made by the president “today” existed long ago but had no one to disclose it. Just consider the below:
which people own the banks that pay salaries to teachers? Aren’t some owned by the government as the rest belongs to private and foreign individuals? How do you expect your success under your oppressors? If anyone doubts consider the treatment offered to teachers when found in some of these offices and compare to other workers of other fraternities different form teaching. Consider some incentives awarded to some set of workers belonging to some specific working region and compare to that of teachers. Name them and judge for yourselves. In some jurisdictions, workers have their own internal schemes that benefit them outrageously. Such as workers of a bank are entitled to interest-free loans despite the amount involve and what it’s used for. Some are offered residential and vehicular allowances, distance and time covered allowances, breakfast, lunch services, including other protocols served them. Which of these belongs to the teacher?
Do we blame the president for making such pronouncements? Yes and No

YES because he has the power to turn that long slavery he speaks about today but has not.
Rather he has seen and accepted it to be so and so it must be so.
NO, of the view that he has
in his statement shown us the needful we need to do as teachers (the fraternity with the greatest numbers).

NOW THE POINTS-THE GHANAIAN TEACHERS’ BANK (TGTB)

1. Ownership by all Ghanaian teachers
2. Membership to only Ghanaian teachers
3. Management by Ghanaian teachers
4. Financed by Ghanaian teachers

That such bank would bring together all teachers in the country and plan for their successes in life as failed by the many banks we have in the country which for over years have made
their profit from the same group of people they neither consider them succeeded.

That The Teachers’ Bank would be responsible for:

• Salary payment (teachers)
• Giving credit facilities; house, health, land and car loans at a relatively moderate interest rate and under relaxed duration (after all, we are the financiers) and deducted from source
• Selling to teachers productive investment schemes that could get almost every teacher comfortably settled not beyond 10 years in service. Taking care of schooling and family issues
• Monitoring every teacher’s success and progress
• This could even take the place of the numerous financial activities done by the teacher unions
• Among others.

Why have we left these for people who aren’t close to the heat to fight the fire for us? This is the time, and the time has come that Ghanaian teachers must have their bank despite whatever political barriers that face the agenda. If single individuals could pay to establish banks as the government itself seeks loans to establish new ones as well, under no circumstances would we (teachers) as professionals be denied such right.

CREDIT: Ohenebakissi Agyekum