The Overlord of Gonjaland and Life Patron of the Savannah College of Education, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, has expressed concern over the ongoing strike by teaching and non-teaching staff of the institution. The strike, which has entered its fifth day, has disrupted academic activities and food services at the college. Yagbonwura made the appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in the matter through the Secretary to the Wasipe Traditional Council, Jantonwura Peter Awusi Yakubu.
According to Yagbonwura, the industrial action is a major concern for the college and the Savannah Region, and requires urgent presidential intervention to get the workers back to work. He believes that President Mahama can address the workers' grievances, if not all, but the major ones. The Overlord is particularly concerned about the impact of the strike on students, with kitchen staff also joining the industrial action, leaving students without meals prepared on campus.
About 170 teaching and non-teaching staff, drawn from the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana and the Colleges of Education Non-Teaching Staff Association of Ghana, are participating in the strike. The workers are demanding their migration onto the public payroll system, saying they have not received payment for their services since the college was absorbed by the government in March 2025. They are also demanding the establishment of the college Management Unit to work on their migration to the public payroll.
A visit to the college’s kitchen revealed that both the kitchen and pantry had been locked, leaving students to make alternative arrangements for their meals outside the campus. The strike has heightened tension on campus and raised concerns about the welfare of students and the need for an urgent resolution to the dispute. It is understood that 17 teachers have already left the college for other colleges of education due to the situation.
Yagbonwura's appeal comes as other educational institutions in Ghana face similar challenges. The Joint Staff Union of Article 1 and 2 Universities (JUSAG) has threatened to go on strike over unpaid salary arrears, while the Technical University Teachers' Association of Ghana (TUTAG) has suspended its strike after talks with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and technical university vice-chancellors.
The National Labour Commission (NLC) has stepped in to avert a potential strike by JUSAG, which is set to begin on November 2. The situation at the Savannah College of Education highlights the challenges facing Ghana's education sector, particularly in the areas of funding and staff welfare. The college's students are now facing an uncertain academic future due to the ongoing strike.
The Savannah College of Education strike is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted solution. While the workers' demands for migration onto the public payroll system and establishment of the college Management Unit are legitimate, the impact of the strike on students and the college's operations cannot be ignored.
Key points
- Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I appeals to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in the Savannah College of Education workers' strike.
- The strike has disrupted food services and academic activities at the college, with 170 teaching and non-teaching staff participating.
- The workers are demanding migration onto the public payroll system and establishment of the college Management Unit.
