A former Director of the Ghana Education Service, Charles Aheto Tsegah, has said more scrutiny of the law is needed to assess the extension of the contract by the Deputy Director-General of the Service, Anthony Boateng.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Tsegah noted Article 195 in his remarks, saying there was a need to reassess the president’s decision within the context of the law.
“As much as possible, we need to go back to 195 to see how the President actually went about taking the decision he has taken,” he said.
“In the real sense of how things should work, we should go strictly by the rules of regulation of our constitution, which allows people not to be in full-time service [after retirement] but to be able to support from behind or in front,” Mr. Tsegah added.
Article 195 holds that the President has the power to appoint persons to hold or to act in an office in the public services with the advice of the governing council of the service concerned given in consultation with the Public Services Commission.
Article 199 also notes that a public officer shall, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, retire from the public service upon attaining the age of 60 years.
The decision for Anthony Boateng’s extension was made at the request of the Minister for Education.
During the period of extension, he will continue his current role and assist in the development of the Ministry’s National Education Institute.
Mr. Tsegah noted that there was a system of allowing retirees to continue serving the country as consultants.
This also allows for internal career progression.
“We can allow the system to work by allowing these officers to take their retirement and others to continue on as we progress.”
“There have been instances where people have actually been given additional consultancies, but it does not affect the scheme of work that the Ghana Education Service has put in place for people to rise up to the highest position,” Mr. Tsegah added.