Ghanaians must be wondering why Maxwell Kofi Jumah, Managing Director of Ghana Distilleries Company Limited is still at post despite attaining the age of 71, which is far in excess of the compulsory retirement age of 60.
Section 71 (1) of the Public Service act stipulates that, a person holding a civil service post shall in accordance with article 199 of the Constitution retire from the Service on reaching the age of sixty years.
The continues stay in office of Maxwell Kofi Jumah, brings to question the selective application of the above provision, which is in line with the 1992 Constitution of the republic.
We are compelled to recall that the law was applied to the latter, when the former Director General of the National Lottery Authourity (NLA), Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw, was asked to proceed on retirement.
The letter to Mr Ameyaw communicating his retirement reads: “Upon reaching the compulsory retirement age of sixty years on 20th February 2020, the President of the Republic, by a letter under my hand dated September 3, 2020, granted you a one-year contract of service as Director-General of the National Lottery Authority. The one-year contract lapsed on 20th February 2021, and therefore you are retired on that date”.
This same law was used to engineer the dismissal of the former Auditor General, Daniel Yao Domelovo, who had become a threat to the administration.
It is an irony that in this country, laws are applied depending on who stands to benefit or lose from it. The fact that Maxell Kofi Jumah is still at post, speaks volume of president Akufo-Addo’s fairness in dealing with others in a similar situation.
As we make this argument, we want it to be understood we are not questioning the capacity of Maxwell Kofi Jumah, to manage the affairs at GIHOC; we are only questioning why he is still at post, when others, who were not even close to his age, have been relieved of their post, because they were 60years and above.
For the avoidance of doubt Maxwell Kofi Jumah was born on June 26, 1950, it is obvious from this that, he has overstayed his welcome and must be shown the exit.
Discussion about this post