Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has called on Ghanaians to make integrity a central pillar of national development, urging the country to celebrate ethical leadership, reward honesty and strengthen accountability across public life.
Mr Bagbin made the call on Monday, July 27, 2026, when he officially launched the National Integrity Awards Scheme under the theme, “Promoting Integrity, Celebrating Ethical Leadership and Inspiring National Development.”
The initiative seeks to identify and honour individuals and, in exceptional cases, institutions whose conduct demonstrates honesty, ethical leadership, transparency, accountability and commitment to the public good.
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According to the Speaker, the launch represents a national commitment to making integrity a foundation of Ghanaian public life rather than treating it as an occasional virtue.
Integrity and national development
Mr Bagbin stressed that integrity is essential to building strong institutions, effective governance, public trust and sustainable national development.
He said where integrity is weak, institutions become fragile, public confidence declines, corruption thrives, and development is distorted. He noted that when integrity is protected and ethical standards are upheld, institutions command greater respect, public resources are managed responsibly, and development becomes more inclusive and sustainable.
He therefore urged public officers, journalists, traditional authorities, religious leaders, business executives, civil society actors and citizens to promote truthful conduct and accountability.
Why the scheme matters
Mr. Bagbin stressed that the National Integrity Awards Scheme is being launched at a time when the demand for ethical leadership and accountable governance has become increasingly urgent.
He acknowledged Ghana’s progress under the Fourth Republic but expressed concern over the continuing challenges of corruption, abuse of office, misuse of public resources, conflict of interest, weak enforcement of ethical standards and public cynicism.
Mr Bagbin said Ghana must move beyond condemning corruption and punishing wrongdoing by creating systems that recognise and encourage those who choose the right path.
The scheme will cover individuals and institutions across Ghana’s governance and public life, including the Executive, Parliament, Judiciary, anti-corruption and law enforcement bodies, security institutions, public service organisations and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.
The private sector, civil society organisations, the media, whistle-blowers and citizens who defend the public interest will also be eligible for recognition.
Vulture award
The Speaker also addressed the proposed Vulture Award, which has attracted public attention.
He explained that the category was not intended to replace lawful accountability or turn public accusations into a substitute for due process. Rather, it is designed to draw attention to conduct that undermines integrity, weakens institutions and damages the moral fabric of the nation.
Mr Bagbin, however, cautioned that the award must be administered fairly and responsibly.
He appealed to President John Dramani Mahama and national institutions to elevate the scheme to the level of major national recognition programmes such as Farmers’ Day and the National Best Teacher Awards.
Justice William Atuguba
Justice William Atuguba, Chairman of the National Integrity Awards Committee, in his speech, called for integrity to become a defining standard of Ghana’s national life, stressing that ethical leadership is essential to building public trust and sustaining national development.
Integrity, he said, is the foundation upon which trust was built, adding that trust gave legitimacy to institutions of government, private enterprise and civil society.
According to him, no country could sustain meaningful development where integrity was weak or ethical conduct was undermined.
He acknowledged that an initiative of such importance should have been introduced earlier but said its establishment was a welcome development.
Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie
The Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, in his remarks, indicated that every generation is confronted with choices that test its commitment to integrity, adding that doing the right thing often required people to sacrifice immediate benefits for long-term national progress.
He acknowledged that such choices could raise difficult questions about why individuals should choose the harder path of integrity when dishonest behaviour sometimes appears to bring quicker rewards.
However, he argued that the answer lies in understanding the difference between the personal cost of integrity and the national cost of corruption.
“Integrity will demand a personal sacrifice, but corruption demands a national sacrifice,” Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie stated.
The Chief Justice welcomed the establishment of the National Integrity Awards Scheme, describing it as a timely initiative that could help shift national attention towards character, ethical leadership and principled conduct.
He observed that society often celebrates success without sufficiently examining the character and values behind that success.
The country, he said, must therefore begin to celebrate individuals who choose principle over convenience and sacrifice personal advantage for the public good.