Govt keen to prevent GES-NAGRAT impasse from escalating

Accra, Feb. 20, GNA - The Government is keen to prevent the impasse between the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) from escalating and causing disruption to the schools' academic programme, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, Press Secretary to the President, said at a Castle briefing on Monday.

The Minister of Education and Sports has already initiated steps and had been holding discussions with all stakeholders to deal with the situation to help to create the needed harmony.

Mr Agyepong said education remained a key priority of President John Agyekum Kufuor's administration, and for that matter they wanted to see labour harmony so that time and resources were not lost through strike actions.

He also touched on a letter received by the President from two school kids at Abelempe in Accra in which they expressed concern about the poor handling of the environment and said "President Kufuor is really touched not only by their writing skills but also the subject they picked on".

The Press Secretary said the President was going to respond to the concerns they raised.

Another issue that also came up was the security situation in the Northern parts of the country where disagreement between the Andanis and Abudus over the installation of the Regent of Gushiegu, which resulted in a shooting incident in Tamale.

Mr Agyepong said the Security Agencies were on top of the situation and that President Kufuor was determined to ensure that there was no slide back in the present peace in the area. He said it was the hope of the President that the people would continue to exercise restraint, tolerance and use dialogue to settle their differences.

President Kufuor would like to assure all of the State's protection of their lives and property, he said. 20 Feb. 06