The Minority in Parliament has joined the opposition to the appointment of Dr Eric Nkansah as Director-General of the Ghana Education Service(GES).
According to the Minority, Dr Nkansah’s banking background is unsuitable for the position.
Addressing a news conference, Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee, Dr Clement Apaak, said the teacher unions were right to kick against the appointment.
He said the Minority is opposed to Dr Nkansah’s appointment, not because of the person involved but due to his unsuitability for the role.
“Up until his appointment, he had only taught briefly, not even in a full-time capacity but by training. He is a banker and was deployed to the minister’s office in 2021 as one of his senior aides. So, clearly, the teacher unions had a problem.
“Where you take away a man who ‘rose through the rank, a professional, earned his due’ and replace him with somebody who earned his due but in a different area of expertise, that is why the teacher unions will oppose his appointment,” he explained.
“When you bring someone who doesn’t have the requisite background or doesn’t meet their standard, it also affects morale,” he added.
Dr Apaak also alleged that the dismissal of Professor Amankwah, the former Director-General was due to a frosty relationship between him and the Education Minister.
“When I saw the content from the presidency and the reason assigned to truncate the extended appointment, I was a bit taken aback because anyone who had followed the education sector and the issues thereof would find it very difficult to admit .. the only real reason is the frosty relationship between Prof. Amankwah and Dr Adutwum.”
President Akufo-Addo recently appointed Dr Eric Nkansah as the new Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
His appointment was contained in a letter issued on Wednesday, October 19, by the Presidency and signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, Secretary to the President.
“I am pleased to inform you that the President has appointed you to act as the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (the Service) pending receipt of the constitutionally required advice of the Governing Council of the Service, given in consultation with the Public Service Commission,” a portion of the letter read.
Dr Nkansah’s appointment has been met with opposition from some teacher unions in the country.
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) urged the President to rescind the appointment on the grounds that he is not a professional teacher.