Isaac Owusu led GNAT to present life jackets to teachers

Isaac Owusu led GNAT to present life jackets to teachers

Rev. Isaac Owusu led GNAT to present life jackets to the Volta regional branch of GNAT. Isaac Owusu is the president of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).

The ceremony took place at Kudorkope-Dambai in the Oti region. Oti region together with the Volta region form the Volta regional branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers.

The government of Ghana created the Oti region out of the Volta region. However, GNAT considers both regions as one under the former name of Volta. Kudorkorpe-Dambai is under the Krachi East district in the Oti region.

Rev. Isaac Owusu together with other national and regional executives presented two hundred and fifty-one (251) life jackets to the region.

See also: GNAT bundle registration, purchase and disbursement

A life jacket

A life jacket is a body suit that enables people to float on water. Stakeholders and the general public engaged in a debate regarding the need for life jackets for both school children and teachers in certain locations.

Many school children and teachers transport daily to and from school in island communities. Ghana has many island communities where the government put up social amenities in relatively bigger communities. People in other island communities have to move daily or regularly on the water to access such amenities The citizens use boats to commute. Some boats are normally hand-puddled while others are motorized.

The need for life jackets

Unfortunately, accidents occur on the river. The accidents normally involve students and teachers since they have to transport daily on the river.

Interestingly, the students and teachers do not usually wear life jackets while commuting. Indeed, the students and teachers do not have life jackets to use.

Through its numerous agencies, the government does not supply life jackets to students and learners. Also, people in island communities who are mostly fishermen are very poor to be able to afford life jackets. Whenever accidents occur the fatality rate is very high because the victims do not wear life jackets.

Life jacket to union members by Isaac Owusu and team

The Ghana National Association of Teachers decided to support members of the association with a life jacket. The national president of the largest teacher union in the country, Rev. Isaac Owusu led executives of the union to present life jackets to its members.

The union held the ceremony in one of the largest island enclaves in the country. Krachi East District is one of the districts that has many islands in the country.

The union, therefore, decided to hold the ceremony in the Krachi East. Though some of the life jackets will be delivered to some other island communities

Accusation of neglect

Through its general secretary, the Ghana National Association of Teachers raised an accusation that the government neglected students in island communities.

According to Thomas Musah, the general secretary, the union will mobilize students to demonstrate or demand support from the government to acquire the life jackets.

However, a government spokesperson threw a jab at the largest teachers union. He stated the union also collects dues from its members. But the union does not provide tangible support to its members like the provision of life jackets.

Policy failure

The government is supposed to lay out a workable policy to ensure the safety of students and teachers on the river. But the government has no national policy on providing life jackets to students and teachers.

Though some individual government agencies donate some life jackets to island communities. Some district assemblies also provide life jackets sometimes. The vast majority of students and learners, therefore, travel on rivers to and from school daily without life jackets.

GNAT executives present

The executives of the GNAT who were present during the presentation of the life jackets are
1. The national president, Rev. Isaac Owusu
2. General Secretary, Thomas Musah
3. Regional secretary, GNAT Volta
4. Chairperson, Membership Education Committee, GNAT national
5. Reps from GNAT headquarters, IT Department
6. Head of membership education, GNAT headquarters