Western Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, has decried the annual ritual of delayed payment of salaries of newly trained teachers in the country.

He said the processing and payment of first salaries of fresh teachers had always been characterised by delays, bringing a lot of hardships to the affected professional.

Mr Aidoo, a professional teacher, therefore appealed to officials of the Ghana Education Service and other related institutions, to expedite action on the payment of salaries of newly trained teachers, to make them financially independent.

He made the call at the 5th congregation of the Holy Child College of Education, in Fijai on Saturday.

The Minister said teachers played crucial roles in the human resource development of the nation, and appealed to stakeholders to support them to give off their best in the fight against illiteracy and ignorance.

Mr. Aidoo said in view of the rigorous training received, "I am of the strong conviction that they can significantly impact upon the direction and improvement of our human resource development."

The Principal of the College, Mrs Margaret Lemaire, said the grandaunts had been instilled with high sense of discipline, integrity, morality and respect for authority.

She charged them to serve as ambassadors of the College by exhibiting such qualities in their teaching profession.

Mrs Lemaire commended Government for providing the College with educational infrastructure such as classroom block, Information and Communication Technology centre and a 15-seater bus.

She appealed to corporate organisations in the region to support the College to acquire more infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning.

Most Reverend Mathias Kobina Nketsiah, Chairman of Holy Child College of Education Council, asked the grandaunts to serve as role models in their respective communities.

In all, 179 grandaunts were awarded Diploma in Basic and Early Childhood Education with six of them obtaining Second Class Upper, and 76 having Second Class Lower.**