Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu has directed the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to withdraw its controversial letter on the retirement and post-retirement engagement of university lecturers, insisting that the Commission must respect the existing conditions of service for academic staff.

The Minister issued the directive during the commissioning of a new hostel facility at Wisconsin International University College at Feyiase in the Ashanti Region, following concerns raised by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) over the communication, which had generated anxiety within the tertiary education sector.

Mr Iddrisu said the government remains committed to honouring the agreed conditions of service for university lecturers, particularly those approaching the mandatory retirement age, adding that exemptions already granted under the retirement policy would continue to be respected.

“A few days ago I got a text from the President of UTAG. They were very unhappy about a 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 who are in the mandatory retirement age,” he said.

The Education Minister further disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama had previously affirmed exemptions for academic staff under the broader compulsory retirement policy.

He explained that his intervention was intended to preserve industrial harmony within the tertiary education sector while ensuring that the rights and agreed terms of service of university lecturers are fully upheld.