Augustine Gogoyire Ayirezang, a retired Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for the Upper East Region, has called for discipline among staff. He made this clarion call after reports of teacher absenteeism, alcoholism, lateness to work, and malingering among other negative behaviors that are said to be affecting the productivity of the Ghana Education Service.
Mr. Ayirezang during a send-off party organized for him said even though hard work and discipline are difficult traits to practice, they come with enormous benefits.
“Hard work has a lot of benefits in the service, so when you are at a school, given an appointment letter, please don’t hesitate and be disciplined. Education, as it is, is the bedrock of development and so, the Upper East Region and for that matter should not be denied that singular urge to that development. And so, directors, headmistress, non-teaching staff, drivers, wherever you find yourself, any vehicle that you get, use it judiciously. [Because] national resources are being spent and, so, let’s take note that we are using national resources. Anytime I sit [behind] the radio and TV, I hear a lot of stories.”
Mr. Ayirezang was re-assigned to take over as the Upper East Regional Director of Education on August 15, 2018, after working at the Ghana Education Service, Headquarters as the Divisional Director for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) and retired on August 27, 2020.
Noted as someone who is committed to duty and always punctual at every gathering, the former director asked for forgiveness from the staff of GES and the public if he ever “stamped on toes but it wasn’t intentional.”
Edward Azure, the Upper East Regional Director of GES, described his predecessor as an epitome of hard work and dedication who inspired many lives during his active service.
Chronicling a journey he had with Mr. Ayirezang during their days as students of the Bawku Technical Institute, Mr. Azure said the retired was a hardworking student who surpass the teething challenges of technical education at the time to become a District Education Director for Bawku West and subsequently a regional director.
“And those days, technical schools were deprived and reserved for people who only have the muscles but the brains. But our brother was able to make it and eventually became the director of education. And when we met, by then I was a Statistic Officer and I said, if my elder brother, Ayirezang can become a director, then I will also aspire to become one”, he stated.
The regional director has therefore called for dedication and commitment to work among staff to exceed where the retired director has gotten to.
A citation in honor of Mr. Ayirezang indicated that the retired director was an astute administrator who “exhibited true delegation of duty, monitoring and supervision, empowerment and above all innovation” in his subordinates which saw some staff promoted to head other regions, Municipals, and Districts during his tenure of office.
The Upper East Regional GES Director said the send-off party for Mr. Ayirezang was planned during the peak of Covid-19 but delayed because there was a ban on public gatherings. Mr. Azure who will also go on retirement before the close of the year called for support for his successor.
Aside from the citation, Mr. Ayirezang was presented with a smock and cash of Ghc 8,000, and his wife was presented with a smock fabric.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
