Former National President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Rev. Isaac Owusu, has strongly condemned the alleged assault on three teachers and a civilian by military personnel in Adiewoso in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region.
Speaking in an interview on ABC In The Morning, Rev. Owusu described the incident as “barbaric” and criticised what he termed a long-standing pattern of neglect towards teachers in Ghana when compared to other professionals.
“When politicians die in an accident, the whole nation rallies to support their families, but when teachers are attacked, they are neglected,” he said, expressing concern over what he believes is a systemic imbalance in public empathy and state response.
He further urged authorities to ensure stronger institutional protection for educators, stressing that GNAT had had to rely on internal support systems due to the absence of a formal insurance policy for teachers.
“We have put in place internal measures to support our teachers, including the GNAT Heritage Trust, because we do not have an insurance policy,” Rev. Owusu explained.
Beyond condemning the alleged assault, the former GNAT leader called for urgent political action, including the appointment of a substantive Minister of Defence, arguing that the position has been vacant for too long.
“I am expecting the Union leaders to declare a nationwide strike in solidarity with this ‘barbaric’ act. We are pleading with the President to appoint a substantive Defence Minister. It’s been long overdue,” he stated.
The alleged incident in Adiewoso has sparked growing concern among education stakeholders, with calls for a thorough investigation and accountability for any security personnel found culpable.
