We’ll resolve pay impasse with lecturers – Mills

President John Evans Atta Mills on Friday gave assurance to stakeholders in the country’s public universities that Government is ready to resolve the impasse over lecturers demand for better working conditions, and the consequent strike action.

He noted that the strike had affected all sectors of the country’s public universities, and it was necessary that stakeholders addressed the issue in a holistic way for both lecturers and students to back to the lecture halls.

In a preliminary statement prior to a close-door meeting with the Vice Chancellors of Ghanaian public universities, at the Osu Castle in Accra, President Mills noted that the earlier solutions were found to the impasse the better.

The meeting, which was at the invitation of the President, was also attended by Ministers of Education, Finance and Economic Planning and Employment and Social Welfare.

In an atmosphere characterized by cordiality between the Government sector and the Vice Chancellors, President Mills reminded the attendees of the need to respect the laid down regulations of the negotiations, accept the truth, wherever it came from and place the national interest foremost.

President Mills also called for fairness, transparency and objectivity in the discussions, so that at the end of the day, truth would prevail, and none would be at the losing end.

He said this would also ensure peace, and water down the anxiety that had come along the impasse.

“I hope at the end, we’ll come out with lasting solutions”, President Mills said.

Professor Kofi Asabre Ameyaw, Vice Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, who acted as spokesman for the Vice Chancellors and the Chairperson of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, Prof Naana Opoku Agyemang, currently outside the country, expressed the appreciation of the dons, to the President for the invitation for the discussion.

Present were Prof Ernest Aryeetey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana; Prof Daniel Mireku Gyima, Vice Chancellor of the University of Mines, Prof William Otoo Ellis, Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Prof Justice Date- Baah, Chairman of the University of Ghana Council, and other administrative staff of some of the University.

Source: GNA