Every morning, newly recruited teachers walk into classrooms. Newly posted nurses and midwives show up at clinics. They take on their duties, teach children, care for patients, and shoulder responsibility. Yet many have not received a single month’s salary — even after months of service.
This is not just unfair — it is a national disgrace.
The Voices of Frustration & Hope
In Accra, over 7,000 newly recruited nurses and midwives took to the streets to demand salaries delayed for nearly 10 months. MyJoyOnline+2Modern Ghana+2
They marched from Efua Sutherland Children’s Park to the Ministries of Health and Finance bearing placards with messages like “Delayed Pay is Denied Pay” and “We Cannot Survive on Promises.” Ghanaian Times
Their convener, Stephen Kwadwo Takyiah, shared heartbreaking stories — health workers who had surgery, chronic illnesses, and mounting debts, all magnified by the delay. MyJoyOnline
Meanwhile, in the education sector, newly posted teachers — many since December 2024 — are demanding 9 to 13 months of unpaid salaries. MyJoyOnline+1
They marched to the Jubilee House, the Ministry of Education, and Finance, insisting they are not volunteers; they are professionals entitled to timely pay. Graphic Online
Some told media that they borrow money to pay rent and transport costs, while others say they feel betrayed by a system that expects them to teach integrity yet denies their own financial dignity. Graphic Online
Why Prompt Payment Isn’t a Luxury — It’s a Duty
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Morale & Professionalism
When employees go unpaid, their morale crashes. They cannot focus on teaching, caring for patients, or being diligent. They become demoralized, resentful, and tempted to abandon their posts. -
Public Service Effectiveness
The health and education sectors depend on motivated, present, and focused staff. Delays in pay undermine quality service delivery — students are shortchanged, patients’ care suffers. -
Trust & Credibility
Government recruits these workers, gives them postings, asks them to report — then fails to pay them. This erodes trust in public institutions and the social contract between state and citizen. -
Legal & Moral Obligation
Public sector employment is not charity. Once hired, government has a binding obligation to pay workers for the services they render. Delays are violations of dignity and rights.
What Government Must Do — Now
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Issue an immediate payment schedule for all affected workers and make it publicly visible.
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Fast-track financial clearance processes so that new recruits are not blocked by administrative bottlenecks.
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Strengthen payroll systems and inter-ministerial coordination (Health, Education, Finance) to ensure clarity, predictability, and minimal errors.
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Compensate interest or arrears where relevant — delay should not erase workers’ rights to full, timely pay.
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Establish accountability and transparency measures — officers responsible for unjustified delays must be held to account.
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Protect workers from retaliation — ensure no worker is punished for demanding what is owed.
A Call to the People
To every citizen reading this: we must stand with these professionals. They are not asking for handouts. They are asking for what they rightfully deserve. Urge your legislators, civil society groups, media houses, and leaders to elevate this issue.
If we hope to build a Ghana where health and education are just, reliable, and dignified — it begins with paying those who deliver them on time, every time.
Let this moment mark a turning point: when government promises professionalism, let it begin by doing the professional thing.
