Editorial: Dealing With Over Aging Saga at Public Institutions

Daniel Domelove, Auditor-General

It is an undeniable fact that some, if not many public service staff have crossed the constitutionally mandated retirement age of 60 years, yet some of these public staff have been able to manipulate the system by providing “fake” birth certificates which has enabled them linger on at their various respective work place.

On the other, there are thousands of unemployed graduates, with requisite qualifications in their respective area of study and an equally good working experience, yet many of such graduates have unable to secure good jobs, thereby becoming liabilities instead asserts to their families.

It is to this effect that on May 1, 2018, President Akuffo-Addo launched the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), an initiative aimed at employing 100,000 unemployed graduates to assist in the public sector delivery needs of the country for three years with monthly stipend of Gh700.

The programme started on October 1, 2018 with qualified applicants, having undergone their respective district orientation, are awaiting placement to fully start work.

Briefing the press last month, the Auditor-General Daniel Domelovo admonished government to amend the law if retirement age “should be 80”. According to him, the deliberate manner and practice of how some public staff who have crossed the mandatory age of 60 are still competing with the young people for the same fewer job spaces is worrying.

Through leadership by example, Mr. Domelovo mentioned that when he is 60 years, he would not ask for one minute to finish a specific assignment, he would leave for someone to occupy his position.  

One thing that caught The Manual’s attention in his presentation is the mention of “fake” birth certificate used by some public staff to outwit the system so they could continue working for long.

The Auditor-General added that it is very difficult matching the physique of some staff to the birth certificate they have provided. “It is only when they die then you see their real ages. How can you retire at age 60 today and tomorrow when you die, you are 82?” Mr. Domelovo asked.

The Manual sees this as a worrying issue and that as a matter of urgency; all regulatory bodies including the Audit Service and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) must act swiftly to clean up the system of such canker.

Regarding the question asked by the Auditor-General during his presentation, we therefore suggest that it is important the Audit Service and SSNIT work together and deduct the deceased service benefit from the age range in question.

For instance, when a public staff retires at age 60 and is given 70 years when he dies, we believe that his service benefit concerning the additional 10 years he had worked for, which is largely because he was able to outwit the system, must be deducted from the deceased gratuity. This measure is reactive, but will go a long way to further help in cleaning up the system.

It is also prudent that the various regulatory bodies become proactive in dealing with over-age issue at the public sector. This must be done by liaising with the Alma mater of staff in securing their personal information and correspond them with what has been provided by them.

One strong measure to send shivers down the spine of such persons involved in this act is prosecution and conviction. We at The Manual believe that until the state starts prosecuting and convicting people found to be culpable in this regards, it will be a bit difficult to further clean up the system.

Everything is doable. It is a matter of initiating concrete steps to support what is to be done.