Bolgatanga: Mr Solomon Gbenga George, popularly known as King Solomon, Headteacher of Yikene Basic School, has been elected Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Bolgatanga District Chapter in the Upper East Region. At the 7th Quadrennial and 54th District Delegates Conference held in Bolgatanga, King Solomon secured 77 votes out of 140 delegates, beating two other contenders to emerge as the new District Chairman.
According to Ghana News Agency, King Solomon, who previously served as the Bolgatanga District Trustee of GNAT, will succeed Mr Charles Atakibire Ateem, the outgoing Chairman, who served two consecutive terms. The Bolgatanga District Chapter of GNAT comprises the Bolgatanga Municipality, Bolgatanga East, Talensi, and Nabdam Districts. This year’s conference was held on the theme: ‘The Ghana Education Service @50: Achievements, Teacher Motivation and the Way Forward.’
In his victory speech, King Solomon thanked the delegates for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to justify their trust through dedicated leadership and collective progress. ‘I am aware of the challenges we face, welfare concerns, delays in promotion, inadequate teaching and learning materials, and the need for continuous professional development,’ he stated. ‘But I also see great opportunities. Together, we can advocate stronger and speak louder.’
He assured members of an open-door leadership style rooted in integrity, transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness, where the interests of all members would be a top priority. He called for collective support to strengthen the union for maximum benefit.
For his part, the outgoing Chairman, Mr Ateem, expressed gratitude to members for their support throughout his tenure, stressing that ‘without you we would not have been elected. You saw in us the zeal to work towards the attainment of our goals as teachers and elected us into office in 2021.’ He noted that under his leadership, the union recorded significant milestones, including securing GNAT’s land in Bolgatanga through fencing, providing free printing and photocopying services for all local conferences, and decentralising GNAT operations by creating a new GNAT district out of Bolgatanga.
Professor David Millar, a retired educationist and President of the Millar Institute for Transdisciplinary and Development Studies, who was the guest speaker, urged GNAT and other teacher unions to focus on empowering their members to improve tuition delivery. He encouraged teachers to prioritise continuous learning and to embrace modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance teaching and bridge the gap between theory and practice.