CCT-Ghana accuses BNI for harassing its members

The Coalition of Concerned Teachers –Ghana (CCT-Ghana) is accusing government for using operatives of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to harass its members in the name of inspecting their certificates.

Addressing a press conference Friday President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers- Ghana, Ernest Opoku said one will be in the school and someone will just come and say he is from BNI and wants to inspect his or her certificate.

Mr. Ernest Opoku wondered why the BNI is undertaking such an exercise when the National Inspectorate Board, which is responsible for that, had done head count of all teachers and also verified their certificates.

Similar exercises, Mr. Opoku noted was done by the Public Services Commission (PSC) and Ghana Education Service (GES), being their employers.

Mr. Opoku who accused the BNI said they don’t even give prior information of their coming so teachers can prepare.

He said the action of the BNI operatives is affecting teaching because teachers have to stop teaching and go home for their certificate since they don’t go to school with their certificates.

“Apart from that they come and also tell you to give them money,” he alleged.

According to him, when Ghana Education Service which is their employer was contacted they expressed shock over the developments and pointed out that they didn’t order BNI to inspect their certificates.

Mr. Opoku who expressed disgust at the BNI recalled how government removed names of some teachers from its pay-roll because they had no account and tasked the same BNI to go round to verify whether the teachers were at post and forward a report to the Controller & Accountant Department.

He said the BNI completed the exercise more than a year ago but has still not submitted the report to the Controller & Accountant Generals Department.

“Some of the teachers have worked for more than a year but because BNI has not submitted the report, they have not been paid as we speak,” Mr. Opoku claimed.

“Why should teachers continue to suffer in the hands of the BNI,” he quizzed.

He questioned whether this is the democracy the country has been yearning for.

“Coalition members are saying this madness must stop,” he charged.

Story by: Michael Creg Afful

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