Ernest Akosah, an Educationist has stated that, the President did not err or contradict the constitution in the appointment of the new Director General of Ghama Education Service (GES).
according to him, education has become a critical area of concern that most governments seek to address to facilitate the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG),
He noted that, its against the background that the president in the exercise of executive functions clothed with authority to hire and to fire, adding that, it is not for any reason that the president wields such exclusive authority having regard to relevant statutory provisions.
He said the appointment of personnel to occupy certain key positions in the governance architecture is done with utmost due diligence to ascertain the suitability and competency of such personnel. He said the Ghana Education Service (GES) recognises the immeasurable role played by the teacher unions in the implementation of educational reforms in achieving significant milestones in its realisation.
He indicated that, the recent agitation by some teacher unions calling for the withdrawal of the Director General (DG) of Ghama Education Service (GES) appointment raises serious fundamental issues that ought to be dealt with expeditiously.
Mr Akosah explained that, It is instructive to note that, Sections 19 (1) (2) (a) and (b) of the Pre-Tertiary Education Act 2020 (act 1049) and Article 195 of the 1992 constitution did not explicitly mention the very educational qualification one must possess before being appointed to such an enviable position.
He said the combined effect of statutory provisions unambiguously vindicates the decision taken by the president. Rhetorically, where is it stated that occupying the office of Director General of Ghana Education service requires a professional teacher, he argued.
He was of the view that, its surprised to read a press release from the Ghana National Association of Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) captioned “the law is not subservient to the appointment of the new GES DG, addong that, the purported address premised their argument on the blatant breach of Sections 67 (1), 68 (1) (a) and 79 (1) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
He however said the import of the statutory provisions is not applicable in the appointment to the office of the Director General of Ghana Education service and urged the leadership of GNACOPS do the honours to correct that statutory blunder.
The Educationist underscored that, the core functions of the Director General of Ghana Education Service is to ensure day-to-day administration of the education service coordination of the education policies and activities at the regional and district level subject to the general directives of the council appointment, promotion, transfer, discipline and dismissal of Head.
Other staff of Basic and Senior High Schools and implementation of the decisions of the council answerable to the council in the performance of the function (section 20 (1) (a)(i)(ii)(iii) (b) (c)(d) (2), Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049)
He stressed that, It’s based on the backgrounds that he emphasized that the GNACOPS and other Teacher Unions had no business raising a red flag about the appointment of Dr Eric Nkansah as the new Director General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
He stated that the appointment of the new Director General of Ghana Education Service is the sole prerogative of the president to choose whom he deems it fit to steer the affairs of any government institution.
