The government has begun processes to release GH¢41 million for the payment of book and research allowances to members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) for the 2023/2024 academic year.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, announced this at the 14th Congregation and 96th Anniversary celebration of St. John Bosco’s College of Education in Navrongo in the Upper East Region.

CETAG has been on strike since November 24, 2025, demanding the full implementation of a May 2023 arbitral award by the National Labour Commission (NLC).

Mr. Iddrisu said the Ministry of Finance was at an advanced stage of processing the funds and appealed to CETAG to suspend the industrial action to allow academic activities to resume across the country’s colleges of education.

“I am aware that government, through the Minister for Finance [Dr. Ato Forson], is processing the release of GH¢41 million for your book and research allowance for 2023–2024. It is now between the Controller and the Accountant-General’s Department and your bank accounts,” he said.

He assured lecturers that the payments would be made promptly, expressing confidence that the allowances would be disbursed within a week.

“We will pay you, and we will pay you within the next one week. By February 9, 2026, normal academic work should be restored in all colleges of education throughout Ghana,” the Minister stated.

Mr. Iddrisu urged striking lecturers to consider the impact of the prolonged strike on students, stressing the need for a stable academic environment to support effective teaching and learning.

He noted that the government had already demonstrated good faith by settling arrears of book and research allowances inherited from previous years and called for continued constructive engagement to resolve any outstanding concerns.

“We should not get to a point of conflict over the unpaid book and research allowance. Let us maintain a serene academic environment so that our children can learn,” he added.

The Education Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to dialogue and the timely fulfilment of its obligations to education sector workers to ensure lasting industrial harmony.