The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has made a strong plea to the government, urging them to disburse the 2023/2024 Book and Research Allowance (BRA) to its members by Saturday, October 21. UTAG has warned that failure to meet this deadline will result in the association embarking on an industrial action.
In a communiqué released on Monday, October 16, UTAG expressed its concerns about the delay in payment, stating that it has created tension on campuses. The communiqué, signed by UTAG's National President, Professor Mamudu A. Akudugu, and National Secretary, Dr. Elliasu Mumuni, emphasized the importance of the BRA as a critical component of the members' conditions of service. The association clarified that the implementation of the National Research Fund should not replace the BRA.
According to UTAG, many lecturers in public universities are yet to receive their reimbursable expenditure for the completed 2022/2023 academic year, further intensifying the tension on campuses. To avoid disrupting industrial harmony, UTAG has explicitly called on the government to ensure that all members receive their BRA payments by the 21st of October.
Additionally, UTAG condemned the recent attacks on journalists and media houses in the country. The association expressed sadness over the increasing infringements on freedom of expression and the media, emphasizing that such developments are not in the nation's interest. UTAG maintained that these attacks on journalists and media houses violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression, as outlined in Chapter 12 of Article 162 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
Demanding swift action, UTAG has urged the Ghana Police Service to promptly arrest and prosecute the perpetrators responsible for these attacks on journalists and media professionals.
The association commended the police for their quick response in apprehending some individuals involved in the recent attack on journalists and panelists at United Television (UTV). UTAG called upon the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure that all individuals involved in attacks on journalists, including the one at Citi FM, as well as those responsible for attacks on media houses and the unfortunate killings of journalists in the country, are apprehended and brought to justice without exception.
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It is our hope that the government swiftly addresses the concerns raised by UTAG, fulfilling its commitment to the welfare of teachers and safeguarding the principles of freedom of expression and media freedom.
SOURCE:
-CITINEWSROOM- "UTAG threatens industrial action over Book and Research Allowance"
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