Academics Exempted from Retirement Contract Suspension

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has clarified that the government’s recent suspension of post-retirement contracts in the public service does not apply to academic staff in public universities.

Speaking in Accra, he stated that universities will continue to process contract renewals through their respective governing councils and appropriate regulatory bodies.

“The academics are not affected by the previous decision by the government to suspend post-retirement contracts in the public service,” Iddrisu said, underscoring the critical role senior academics play in higher education and institutional continuity.

His remarks follow a directive issued on April 2, 2025, signed by Calistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, which announced the immediate suspension of all post-retirement contract appointments across the public sector. The statement instructed that no further contract extensions involving retired public service personnel would be considered and urged all relevant institutions to comply fully with the new directive.

The exemption for academics reflects the government’s recognition of the unique demands within tertiary education, particularly the need to retain experienced faculty in specialized disciplines where talent pipelines may be limited. By allowing universities to manage such appointments independently, the Ministry of Education seeks to balance the goals of institutional knowledge retention with national efforts to reform post-retirement employment policies.