Tanko Proposes Two‑Year Extension or Consultancy

Thomas Musah Tanko, General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, has urged that retirees whose expertise remains essential should either receive a two‑year extension or be formally engaged as consultants.

He warned that without proper succession planning, institutional memory is at risk.

“There should be a succession plan and continuity in civil service,” he said on TV3’s Key Points on April 12. “We engage the persons as consultants, so we need to choose either you give the person two years to continue or engage them as a consultant; we are dealing with organisational memory, because we do not take time, we lose organisation memory.”

Tanko emphasised that organised labour is not opposed to the retirement age of sixty but insisted that the suspension of post‑retirement contracts must be carefully discussed to avoid unintended consequences. He called for a thorough review of corporate governance and succession frameworks within the public and civil service to ensure a smooth transition.

He noted that there is broad support for the principle of the policy, urging all stakeholders to engage in dialogue on its implementation. “Nobody is against it, we are all in support of it in principle. We need to engage in a dialogue to see how best we can get this implemented,” he stressed, adding that consensus on how the public service should operate is essential.

Labour consultant Austin Gamey has welcomed the suspension of post‑retirement contracts, describing the previous system as abused and saying it deprived young professionals of opportunities. He argued that the focus should now shift to mentoring and training the next generation rather than extending retirees’ tenure.

The directive to halt all post‑retirement contract appointments, issued by the Office of the President on April 2, took effect immediately and applies across all ministries, departments and agencies. The sudden nature of the policy has prompted calls from some union leaders for further consultation to protect both experienced staff and the interests of younger workers.

Ghana’s Labour Act 651 of 2003 mandates retirement at age sixty for public sector employees and at fifty‑five for those in mining. With over 700 000 workers in the public and civil services and more than 1 000 annual retirements, formalising consultancy arrangements and clear criteria for extensions could strike the right balance between preserving institutional knowledge and opening pathways for youth inclusion. Structured regulatory updates and sustained stakeholder dialogue will be crucial to ensuring that expert insight is retained without undermining opportunities for emerging talent.