The main opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) has condemned the poor treatment meted out to graduate trained teachers who picketed at the GES to demand for their postings by government.

At least eleven graduate teacher trainees were picked up by the police and were scheduled to be arraigned yesterday.

The teachers, who are mainly 2016, 2017 and 2018 batches of various Colleges of Education, stormed the GES headquarters on Monday to demand postings, but were unlucky to be arrested by the Accra Police for unlawful assembly.

In a Press release by the party and signed by Deputy National Youth Organizer, Eric Edem Agbana slammed the Police for what it described as the “unprofessional and irresponsible conduct” demanding for a total withdrawal of all charges leveled against the graduate teachers.

“We take a very dim view of this latest incident. We are extremely appalled and disgusted by the dehumanizing treatment that these innocent Trained Teachers, who have successfully graduated from various Colleges of Education, passed their tortuous licensure examination and have duly undergone the one year mandatory National Service, are being subjected to, by the insensitive Akufo-Addo government,” said the statement.

Below is the full statement

NDC CONDEMNS RECKLESS ATTACKS METED OUT TO UNEMPLOYED TEACHERS BY THE POLICE; CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO POST THEM NOW.

The National Democratic Congress has noted with grave concern, the barbaric brutalization of some Unemployed Trained Teachers who gathered at the premises of the Ministry of Education on Monday, 13th January 2020 to demand postings from government.

We take a very dim view of this latest incident. We are extremely appalled and disgusted by the dehumanizing treatment that these innocent Trained Teachers, who have successfully graduated from various Colleges of Education, passed their tortuous licensure examination and have duly undergone the one year mandatory National Service, are being subjected to, by the insensitive Akufo-Addo government.

We note that in spite of fulfilling all employment requirements of the Ghana Education Service and having received countless assurances from government, these young men and women have been refused employment since September, 2018 by President Akufo-Addo, who prioritizes corruption and wanton profligacy over the needs of Teachers and Ghanaians in general.

The NDC condemns in no uncertain terms, the unprofessional and irresponsible conduct of the Ghana Police Service and demands for a total withdrawal of all charges leveled against these young graduate teachers whose only crime is to demand from their government what is due them.

We further remind President Akufo-Addo of his own campaign promise to provide jobs for Teacher Trainees. We charge him to make do this promise by employing these Trained Teachers without further delay.

To all Teacher Trainees and unemployed Trained Teachers; the NDC stands with you in these difficult times and will continue to prioritize your needs and treat you with dignity. We encourage you to remain fervent in hope and assure you, that the next NDC-Mahama Administration, shall abolish the obnoxious Licensure Examination and restore the Automatic Employment of all Teacher Trainee graduates when re-elected in 2020.

SIGNED, ERIC EDEM AGBANA, DEPUTY NATIONAL YOUTH ORGANIZER