The Ministry of Information has urged the public and stakeholders of state institutions to disregard the list of chief executive officers (CEOs) purported to have been ordered to proceed on leave on account of their ages.

Addressing the press in Accra yesterday, Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah indicated that the presidency had not issued any order.

Reacting to media reports which emerged last Friday that eight CEOs of public institutions would have to vacate their positions by the end of March 2019, Mr. Nkrumah said, “Government has not written to any CEO to retire…it’s not true.”

However, the minister, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ofoase-Ayirebi Constituency, observed that some CEOs who have reached the retirement age are “being engaged by government”, though “no directives” have been issued to them to step down.

“While it remains the prerogative of the President to engage or disengage the services of CEOs of state-owned enterprises, he exercises such powers after the necessary requisite engagement. Should the President at anytime opt to disengage with the services of any CEO that will be done as always in accordance with established due process,” he said.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ yesterday morning, the sector minister said government would have issued an official statement indicating that these number of appointees have been relieved of their duties as is normally done.

“…there are age constraints to how long one may serve in the public service. And once the age constraint comes up, such persons will be engaged and a final decision announced to the nation. These are senior members so it will not be surprising for anyone to come out with such stories but as at this morning, no such order has been given,” he indicated.

On Friday, reports emerged that eight CEOs had been ordered to leave office by March 2019.

The list of CEOs included Eugene Ofosuhene, 67 years, Controller and Accountant General; Kofi Jumah, 68 years, CEO of Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC); Isaac Osei, 67 years, CEO of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR); Kwame Owusu, 67 years, CEO of Ghana Maritime Authority; Anthony Nsiah-Asare, 65 years, Director General of the Ghana Health Service; Samuel Annor, 64 years, CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority; CEO of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, 65 years and K. K. Sarpong, 65 years, CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

The eight, according to the report, have passed the mandatory retirement age of 60 as stipulated in the Public Service Act which enjoins public officers to retire from public service on attaining the age of sixty (60) years, with a possible extension of five (5) extra years.

Indeed, the ages of the affected CEOs indicated that they had passed the statutory age for public service, thereby giving credence to the purported orders from the seat of government.

But as of yesterday, the CEOs of the eight state institutions are yet to receive their letters from the appointing authority ordering them to step down.

According to them, per the rules of engagement governing their appointments, they are supposed to receive letters notifying them of any action to that effect, but no letter has been issued.