Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has directed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to respect the conditions of service of university lecturers after ordering the withdrawal of a controversial letter on the retirement and post-retirement engagement of academic staff.
The directive follows his intervention in response to concerns raised by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), which said the communication had sparked tensions within the tertiary education sector.
Speaking at the commissioning of a hostel facility at Wisconsin International University College at Feyiase in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Iddrisu said the move was necessary to safeguard agreed conditions of service for academic staff, particularly those nearing the mandatory retirement age.
He stressed that the government remains committed to honouring existing exemptions granted to academic staff under the compulsory retirement policy.
Mr. Iddrisu disclosed that he intervened after receiving concerns from UTAG leadership.
“A few days ago I got a text from the President of UTAG. They were very unhappy about some letter that GTEC had forwarded to members of UTAG. I have asked GTEC to withdraw that letter and to respect the conditions of service of our university lecturers particularly those that are in the mandatory retirement age,” he said.
He added that President John Dramani Mahama had previously affirmed exemptions for academic staff within the broader retirement framework.
The Minister further emphasised that the directive is aimed at preserving stability within the tertiary education sector while ensuring that agreed terms of service for lecturers are upheld.
The move is expected to ease tensions between UTAG and GTEC over the implementation of retirement and post-retirement engagement arrangements for university lecturers.
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