"Ghanaians Did Not Vote For You Because Of Ghana Jollof News" - Suhum MP Slams Mahama Over Teachers' Strike

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has taken a swipe at President John Dramani Mahama over the ongoing indefinite strike by teacher unions, saying Ghanaians did not vote for him to be posting about Ghana Jollof.

In a statement on September 25, 2026, signed by Hon. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, MP for Suhum and Deputy Ranking Member on Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions, the Caucus said the government has frustrated teachers by refusing to implement agreed conditions of service.

The statement referenced a recent social media post by the President praising Ghana Jollof, which the Minority described as a distraction from serious governance issues.

"Mr. President, Ghanaians did not vote for you because of Ghana Jollof News. Ghanaians voted for you because you promised the teachers better conditions of service within your overly heralded 24-Hour Economy Policy," the Minority stated.

The teacher unions - GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG - declared a nationwide strike over three key issues: delay in negotiating a new Collective Agreement, failure to place promoted teachers on their new scales, and non-payment of the 20% Deprived Area Allowance captured in Section 17(2) of the 2024 Collective Agreement.

According to the Minority, government's lukewarm attitude is an affront to labour rights and a violation of an NLC ruling in 2024, and it is already affecting learning outcomes, citing the mass failure in the 2026 BECE.

"A demotivated teacher cannot produce an excellent student. The failure in BECE implies a failure of Government to motivate the very people who shape their future and not merely a failure of our children," the statement added.

The Caucus is demanding that government immediately engage the unions, instruct CAGD to pay all promoted teachers with arrears from January 2026, and implement the Deprived Area Allowance.

"Government must prioritize the classroom over distractions. If we lose our teachers, we lose our nation."