What crime did they commit? – Ntim Fordjour slams Mahama gov’t over police action on teachers

Former Deputy Education Minister, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has criticised the Mahama administration for deploying a Police SWAT team against unpaid teachers who were peacefully demanding their salaries at the Ghana Education Service (GES) headquarters.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, June 24, he condemned the treatment as unjustified and a violation of their dignity.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour, who now serves as the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, questioned the rationale behind such heavy-handed action against educators.

“Under President Mahama, POLICE SWAT is called on unpaid teachers to heckle them out of the Ghana Education Service HQ for simply demanding their lawful pay. What crime did they commit to face such humiliation?” he posted.

He further decried what he described as the insensitivity and intolerance of the Mahama-led government, noting that such actions undermine the morale and respect accorded to teachers in society.

“What happened to the dignity of teachers?” he asked, adding that the government’s response exposed a disturbing lack of empathy towards the teaching profession.