President John Dramani Mahama has directed all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of State Institutions, and other political appointees to refrain from accepting awards from private organisations unless they obtain prior approval from the Office of the President.
The directive, issued on Monday, June 8, is aimed at protecting the integrity of public service and addressing concerns over the increasing number of awards being conferred on public officials by private entities with unclear credibility.
According to the Presidency, many of the organisations behind such award schemes are largely unknown to the public, while their assessment standards, selection criteria, and evaluation processes remain opaque.
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The directive noted that in several instances, there is no transparent, objective, or verifiable framework for assessing the performance of public officials, raising questions about the legitimacy of such recognitions.
The government believes the growing trend has the potential to expose public institutions and officials to criticism and could undermine public confidence in governance.
As a result, political appointees have been cautioned against participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from privately organised ceremonies and commercial recognition schemes without express authorisation from the Presidency.
President Mahama described some of the organisers as self-appointed rating bodies whose methodologies and standards are not subject to public scrutiny.
He stressed that public office is a responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana and that performance should not be measured through private award ceremonies.
Instead, he said public servants should be assessed based on their ability to deliver on government policies, programmes, and sector-specific targets outlined in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto and the broader national development agenda.
The directive also signals a stronger performance monitoring regime within government. The Presidency is expected to conduct a comprehensive review of the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers in the coming months.
The outcome of the assessment, according to the statement, will influence decisions on retention, reassignment, and any future restructuring within government.
President Mahama, therefore, urged all appointees to focus on delivering tangible results for Ghanaians rather than pursuing external recognition.
The directive follows renewed public discussion surrounding the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards, organised by private event management firm Big Events Ghana, which has, over the years, honoured serving and former ministers as well as chief executives.
The organisers have not publicly responded to allegations that some award recipients may have paid for recognition.