The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has bid farewell to its retired Chief Labour Officer Mr. Eugene Narh Korlettey, after 35 years of dedicated service in labour administration for Ghana.
He started his career in the Civil Service with the Labour Department in 1987 as an Assistant Labour Inspector and he rose through the ranks by dent of hard works and determination to become the Chief Labour of Ghana.
Mr. Korlettey, who holds a first degree from the University of Cape Coast and a master’s from the University of Ghana, retired gracefully in July 2022.
Giving his unmatched technical expertise and unique understanding of the dynamics of labour administration and its implications for socioeconomic development, Mr. Korlettey served on several technical committees and boards whilst in active service; contributing and addressing matters with labour, labour legislations and employment policies formulations.
Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, speaking at Mr Korlettey’s send-off ceremony in Accra, which was organised by the Labour Department of the Ministry, said the event was been organised to celebrate the life and works of Mr. Korlettey.
He noted that if there was one department, which was the face of the Ministry, it was the Labour Department; saying “so, to head the Labour Department means that you are rather championing the works of the Ministry.”
He said for Mr Korlettey to have dedicated 35 good years of his life for working for the Ministry and for that matter working for Mother Ghana was not any mere achievements.
“So, Mr Eugene Narh Korlettey, we salute you,” the Minister stated.
He said moving from working life to retirement might look so simply but it means a lot in life; declaring that it was a major transition.
The Minister asked Mr. Korlettey whether he was considering going into consultancy, because the kind of knowledge and expertise that he had could not be allowed to go to waste and that he still would have to find a way to give this back to society.
“It is either you write it in the form of a book, or you practice it as a consultant, and I will want to urge you to think about it seriously. I will support you to be able to achieve that,” Mr. Baffour-Awuah said.
The Minister commended Mr. Korlettey for his contributions towards addressing labour issues in the country over the years.
“I got to know Eugene in February 2017, at that time he was the Acting Chief Labour Officer; so anytime there was a labour issue, he was the first person I will run to. Sometimes as a new person, I will be panicking. What is it? Then he will tell me Honourable, take it easy, as for these issues, they will keep coming but when it comes handle it this way,” Mr. Baffour-Awuah said.
“So, if indeed, my work as a Minister has been successful, I will attribute part of it to Mr. Eugene Narh Korlettey.”
He reiterated that Mr. Korlettey during his tenure of office updated him on a weekly basis on happenings within the labour front and urged those who were taking over from him to copy him and do the same.
This, the Minister said, helped them to stem some of the labour issues before they could escalate.
He noted that one indelible mark which Mr. Korlettey had left behind, which would be difficult for anybody to fill at the Ministry was the work he was doing for Ghana anytime they went to the International Labour Conference (ILC) Meetings in Geneva, Switzerland and that Mr. Korlettey was then the face of Ghana at all their ILC Meetings.
Dr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Executive Secretary, Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), lauded Mr Korlettey for his contributions towards addressing issues in the country during his tenure of office.
On his part, Mr. Korlettey expressed gratitude to Mr. Baffour-Awuah and the Ministry for the honour done to him and the support given him during his tenure of office.