Public sector promotions should reward productivity, not certificates — Kosi Dedey

Engineer and Analyst Michael Kosi Dedey has criticised Ghana’s public-sector promotion system.

He argued that the country places greater emphasis on academic qualifications than employees’ productivity.

He said public-sector workers can often secure promotions after obtaining additional degrees, regardless of whether there is evidence of improved performance or output.

Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, September 9, he called for a system that rewards workplace productivity and practical skills rather than certificates alone.

“We don't pay for productivity. We pay for qualification and not productivity. So if you go into a public sector system, everyone who simply goes to do a programme, comes back with a certificate and is considered for promotion,” he said.

The analyst said the practice has encouraged many public-sector employees to pursue degrees, master’s programmes and PhDs while working, with the completion of such programmes often becoming a basis for promotion.

He argued that promotions should instead be linked to measurable contributions and improvements in performance.

According to him, Ghana’s approach to education and public-sector advancement also risks producing graduates who possess academic knowledge but lack sufficient practical experience.

He questioned the decision to convert the country’s polytechnics into universities, arguing that the move could contribute to an education system that places excessive emphasis on theory.

“So virtually, what we are doing is producing a lot of theory graduates without practice,” he said.