According to the Education Committee member, the continued industrial action reflects growing frustration among teachers who, he said, have received repeated assurances without seeing their concerns fully addressed.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Dr Agyemang said teachers were demanding payments they were legitimately entitled to and urged the government to demonstrate its commitment by making the necessary funds available.
“I cannot pay teachers what is due them. I wish to re-emphasise that it has nothing to do with technicality. The teacher is deserving of his wage. They should pay them,” he said.
The strike by the pre-tertiary teacher unions follows unresolved concerns over promotion-related payments, the Collective Agreement and the Deprived Area Allowance.
Dr Agyemang argued that the government’s handling of the dispute had contributed to a loss of confidence among teachers, particularly after what he described as repeated promises to address their concerns.
“They say that the promises have become one too many. They have lost trust and confidence in the government. The government has deceived them several times. Therefore, they are not yielding,” he stated.
He said the government must be candid with the teachers if it genuinely lacks the resources to meet their demands, stressing that clear communication would be preferable to continued assurances that are not fulfilled.
“If we’ve gotten to a point where they have to tell them what the truth is, they are broke, and that we can’t do much, let the teachers understand, as they have been very understanding all these years,” he said.
The Abuakwa South MP also questioned the government’s spending priorities, particularly in relation to its reported GH¢2 billion allocation for the proposed Accra–Kumasi Expressway.
He argued that if the funds are available, government should consider using part of its resources to address the outstanding obligations to teachers and help end the disruption to pre-tertiary education.
“After all, they said they have available two billion cedis ready for Accra–Kumasi Expressway to be built. So are you saying that we should go and construct the roads while the teachers stay at home and our children are all…The teachers are not asking so much. They should even take it and give it to them,” he said.
Dr Agyemang further maintained that the Ministry of Education alone cannot resolve the impasse because its ability to negotiate with the unions does not necessarily translate into control over the government’s finances.
“It goes beyond the Ministry of Education. I mean, they, like you said, they can do all the engagement, and somebody keeps the purse. The person that keeps the purse should be ready and willing if the money is available,” he stated.
He consequently urged the government to make the required funds available, settle the outstanding obligations and engage the unions with a clear commitment to resolving the issues that led to the strike.
