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We’re not returning to the classroom on Feb. 16 – Legon UTAG President
President of the University of Ghana Chapter of the University Teachers Association (UTAG), Dr. Samuel Nkumbaan, has indicated that the aggrieved lecturers will not be returning to the classroom on Wednesday, February 16, despite a court ruling on Tuesday, February 15.
In an interview with Evans Mensah on Top Story, he stated that based on his knowledge of the court’s proceedings on Tuesday, the substantive matter has not been heard, and therefore he and his colleagues cannot resume their official duties.
“Unfortunately, the substantive matter was adjourned to Tuesday, then the injunction was granted. The order of the court, we are yet to get the certified copy and that will give us a sense of the specific details that the court is requiring of us as to what to do and what not to do.
And on the basis of that, our lawyers will be in the position to advise us. So categorically , we cannot state as we speak that we’re going back to the classroom tomorrow,” he stated.
He made these comments in reaction to an injunction by the Labour Division of the Accra High Court on Tuesday, February 15. With the injunction, UTAG is required to suspend the strike action and return to the negotiation table.
The order from the Court follows an appeal by the National Labour Commission (NLC) for an interlocutory injunction to suspend the strike by UTAG while negotiations continue.
UTAG is therefore expected to halt the strike until the Court determines the substantive application by the NLC.
The Court presided over by Justice Frank Aboadwe Rockson noted that ongoing negotiations between the parties may not yield any result if the industrial action continues.
The Court had asked both parties to try an out-of-court settlement on two occasions.
Justice Aboadwe Rockson, thus, granted the injunction. UTAG’s Lawyer, Kwasi Keli-Delataa, objected to the motion and pleaded with the Court to determine the substantive case before it.
But the judge overruled it. The NLC sued UTAG, urging the Court to declare the strike illegal. The case has been adjourned to February 22, 2022, at 1:30 pm.
Meanwhile, students have been left stranded on various campuses of public universities as there appears to be no end in sight for the industrial action by their lecturers. But on both occasions, UTAG said they have not received any concrete offer from government yet, thus causing all engagements to end inconclusively.
UTAG’s demands
UTAG wants government to restore their 2012 conditions of service, which pegged the monthly income of entry-level lecturers at $2,084.
The Association has complained that the current arrangement has reduced its members’ basic premiums to $997.84.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
