<<Print>>

Ghana’s Second Lady, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur has come under attack after she took what some consider to be an impolite approach in responding to a simple request for chalk and other teaching materials that was laid before her during her visit to the Kukurantumi Presbyterian Primary School.  

The Headmistress of the school was left broken hearted after her request to the Second Lady to provide the school with chalk and other logistics was sharply turned down.

The saga seems to have troubled members of the New Patriotic Party and they have released a statement calling on Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur to render an apology to Ghanaians, particularly, the prominent chiefs and people of Kukurantumi.


Below is a copy of the statement:

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is disturbed by the insensitive comments of our Second Lady, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, at a gathering of prominent chiefs and people of Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region.


The Headmistress of Kukurantumi Presby Primary School, Mrs. Juliet Oppong, while thanking the Second Lady for the presentation of five set of computers to the school, appealed to her to communicate to government to provide some basic things like log books for teachers and chalk which were in short supply in the school.


This genuine and harmless plea from the Headmistress received an unjustified backlash from the Second Lady, who prides herself as a Librarian with interest in child education.

We do not want to believe that the Second Lady is ignorant of the plight of our schools and teachers across the country.  

Why did she go to donate computers, after all PTA's have been contributing in that area and many others? If providing chalk to schools is not a priority to Government then why is the NDC government making a huge fuss about providing free uniforms and shoes to students?

We need to get serious in this country about our priorities, especially our children and their education. These misplaced priorities and insensitive statements are a hindrance to the transformation of our society.

The budget for the Ministry of Education is one of the biggest and it is so shameful and unacceptable that chalk should be in short supply or unavailable in any school.

Unlike government officials, teachers do not take sitting allowances, they do not serve on Boards to get extra income, they buy their own fuel, and they solely depend on their ‘small’ salaries to keep their families together.

Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur's comment that the provision of the school uniforms is "not by force" and that the teachers have been 'spoilt' vindicates the NPP’s position that the NDC government is insensitive to the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian. 

The poor BECE results, leakages, problems with teachers’ allowances and falling educational standards should be of great concern to the Second Lady and the government.

Her choice of words, tone, demeanor and attitude is unbefitting of the Second lady and mother of Ghana. It is characteristic of NDC government officials to make insensitive remarks like "violence begets violence" as stated recently by the Minister of Interior about violence in the Talensi by-election.

However, we expect motherly thoughtfulness and sensitivity at the least from a persona of her caliber.
The NPP believes in the provision of FREE and quality Education with the teacher at the center to develop an efficient human resource for the transformation of our country.

To achieve this, it is the priority of the government to ensure that basic educational materials including chalk are provided constantly to schools to ensure that teachers have the tools and enabling environment to teach.

This is the most insensitive statement from a Second Lady and it is unacceptable, and on behalf of the good people of Ghana, the NPP would like to urge her to bring some dignity to the office she occupies and use the same platform to apologise to Ghanaians, particularly, the prominent chiefs and people of Kukurantumi.

Ghanaians deserve the greatest of respect.

We deserve better.



...signed...
Otiko Djaba
(National Women Organiser)