Six months after Mr Joseph Yaw Nyarko, 36, was adjudged the National Best Teacher for 2001, has still not received his 150 million cedis package to build a house. Mr Nyarko has on several occasions called on the education authorities for his package but no avail.

Speaking to the ‘Times’ in an interview at Cape Coast, the Best Teacher said that he had visited the offices of the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) to request for his package but had still not received the cheque for the money. “The reason given by the education authorities is that there is no money and therefore I should wait,” he said.

The Director-General of GES, Mr John Budu Smith, was said to have announced last month that the money was ready but up to date the award winner has still not received it. However, according to Mr Nyarko, the coordinator of the National Best Teachers Award, Mrs Elizabeth Sowah, told him that there was no money at the moment and therefore he must exercise patience.

A letter dated 28 January, written by the coordinator, Mrs Sowah, copied to the General Secretary of GNAT, read “I have been directed by the Honourable Minister to inform you that arrangement are being made to present the prize money for the 2001 award winner”.

Mr Nyarko said that Mr Joseph Omari, the immediate past coordinator, now at the Tema Municipal Assembly, also asked him last year to produce a land document before the money could be given to him. He said that Mr Omari imputed that if the money was given, he would either resign or travel outside the country.

Mr Nyarko said that he was disappointed by the action of the education authorities and appealed to the executive of GNAT to pursue the case for him. He is a product of the Fosu Training College and currently teaches at the Ochiso Methodist JSS at Ajumako in the Central Region. Many of his colleagues are presently not happy about the way the government is handling the awards.