Amend GNAT Constitution Now: A Cry of The Voiceless Majority

Ghana Education News| Amend GNAT Constitution Now: A Cry of The Voiceless Majority – Coalition of Grassroot Leadership -GNAT

A group calling itself Coalition of Grassroot Leadership -GNAT  has bemoaned the cry of the voiceless majority within the union is not being heard. In a release sighted by Ghanaeducation.org, they indicated that teachers don’t trust they are members of the union as huge gaps have been created by successive leaders. They have called for an urgent radical constitutional review and decentralization of decision-making within GNAT. The aggrieved members want to know if they are to enjoy the benefits of membership while alive or dead.

The new call “Amend GNAT Constitution Now” campaign has become popular among members of GNAT at the grassroots already as they call for changes to the constitution that governs the teacher union to give room for every member to have a voting right instead of the current system which resides all voting rights in 1000 delegates to vote on issues on behalf of 250000 members.

Read the full piece by the Coalition of Grassroot Leadership -GNAT – A Cry of The Voiceless Majority
For a number of years, now, accusations leveled against succeeding crops of leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), by some disgruntled grassroot members, and even the general public, border on the fact that the Union is being progressively commandeered by the Central Leadership who shall be described as “powerful people” who “only meet occasionally to think, talk and take care of themselves”.
To the best of our knowledge as leading members at the grassroots level, lines of such accusations have gone around schools, and in fact, every nook and cranny of the ‘world’ of GNAT for a contemptible time now.

Even so, successive generations of National Executive and the Administrative wing seem to lack the political will and moral confidence to correct the misconceptions and re-energize the diluted morality that besmears the established authority of the Union, that is, if and only if such conceptions are fallacies.

It is worrying to think that there is, and always a negligent omission of Leadership at the periphery, who, unarguably constitutes the actuating cause of the development of the Union; i.e. grassroot leadership is the animating spirit of the growth of GNAT, and yet, it is always at the receiving end in times of distribution of resources and/or even when the rule of law (and not the rule of man) has to be applied. Most unfortunate! In the face of this, it is fair to propose a timely and critical review of the GNAT Constitution to equip it with the obligatory legal resources that can protect the needs and interests of her ordinary members, and ultimately heal wounds and disaffection.

The Constitutional review arrangement is required particularly now because, in its current state, it appears ‘toothless’ and parochial in its tragic ability to deny grassroot leadership the permissible authority of enjoying some social grace or making input into top-level strategic decisions that directly affect their social and economic wellbeing. Such powers rest wholly with the National Council/Executive Members/Administrative Staff who think rather unfortunately that only Councillors/National Executives/Administrative staff constitute what we call GNAT; that they alone can serve GNAT.

There is no gainsaying that the ordinary masses and the grassroot leadership are the dues payers, and therefore the financiers of the Union, in fact, without whom the Union ceases to exist in both body and spirit. They are the ones that make periodic school visits, canvas for new sign-ups, bring back exiting members, suffering the unguided missiles and verbal salvoes from angry commoners, defending and promoting leadership at the metropole (the top), promoting the various investment opportunities(Credit Mall ltd, Mutual Fund Loans, Insurance packages etc) and also serving as the liaison between ‘the centre and the periphery, so to speak. However, their voices are, more often than not, rejected with a wave of the hand. Even humble petitions in the form of resolutions sent to Delegates’ Conferences for careful study and redress are either ‘suffocated’ or subordinated in varying degrees to the National Executive/Council/ Administrative wing’s desire to manipulate and corrupt public opinion for their whatever urges and maybe private interest.

To this end, let’s think about these questions: When shall the main financiers of GNAT ever trust that they are part of a responsible Union and that they are enjoying their contributions in their lifetime?; that they will not suffer unhappy retirements?; that their permanent or temporal disabilities will be managed by GNAT contributions?; and that their deaths will not be dishonourable on account of being mere members of GNAT?

READ: “Amend GNAT Constitution Now” campaign against voting rules hits GNAT

The Eight (8) months honeymoon is enough for leadership to start bridging the economic and social gap and imbalances that are characterized by the administration of the Union. While we wait for a radical constitutional review that guarantees decentralization of the decision-making process, a paradigm shift in the daily operations and equitable distribution of economic and social benefits, some of us would want to pledge that whether that time ever comes or not, we are dutifully committed in solidarity cooperation to the progress and development of the Union.

READ: Cost of Teachers Mate 1 Laptop contested and debunked by MoE

Touch One; Touch All
Long live GNAT;
Long Live

Signed and Issued by:

Governor Guggisberg
Chief Coalitionist

Richard Ayittey
Deputy Chief Coalitionist

Stephen Sabo DaBalorror
Convener

David Mensah
Member

Teddy Damning
Member

Christian Youngs Petit
Member

Abigail Darkoh
Member

Stephen Arhinful Botwey
Member

Frank Otoo
Member

Evans Davis
Chief Convener
Concern GNAT Members

Paul Koranteng Member
For:*CGL-GNAT

ATTENTION:

1. The National President, GNAT
2. All National Council Members, GNAT
3. All Regional Executives
4. All District Executives.
5. All Local Executives
6. All Grassroot Coalitionists

The Amend GNAT Constitution Now campaign is on and the Coalition of Grassroot Leadership -GNAT is pushing for total inclusiveness. Would the Cry of The Voiceless Majority be heard?

Source: Ghanaeducation.org

Written by Ghana Education News Editorial Staff

The Ghana Education News Editorial Staff is comprised of seasoned education consultants, policy analysts, and verified journalists dedicated to providing accurate, timely, and credible updates on the Ghanaian GES curriculum, WAEC updates, and academic leadership.