The Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development has urged Arabic instructors in the Northern Region to exercise restraint over their unpaid allowances.
The Ministry said the delay in the paying the instructors their allowances is due to some challenges with validating some of the instructors as well as some wrong data presented a number of them.
The Director of Communications for the Ministry, Seibik Bugri told Citi News that work is ongoing to correct all the discrepancies and the payments will soon be made.
“We are working behind the scenes seriously to ensure that they are paid… There are a number of challenges that have resulted in the delay. My Minister is working closely with [the Finance Ministry] and with the YEA to ensure that everything is done correctly before monies are advanced,” he said.
About 900 Arabic instructors in the Northern Region last week threatened to embark on a demonstration in Accra to demand their allowances, which they say have been in arrears for several months.
The group blamed the Zongo Development Ministry for the delay and accused the ministry of taking their meekness for granted.
They subsequently gave the ministry up to Monday, July 1, 2019 to pay them the monies.
Malam Adam, who speaks for the Arabic instructors in the Northern Region said they believe the Ministry is to blame for the nonpayment.
“After checking everything, it is the Zongo Development Minister, Mustapha Hamid, who is not releasing fund for the payment of the Arabic instructors.”
“We are appealing to the government to look at this so that all Arabic instructors will be paid their arrears. From now to Monday, if we do not hear any positive response from the Ministry, we will come out and do what they do not want to see. They think that because we are mallams and we are always speaking on peace, our grievances cannot be addressed.”