The Presidency has directed all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions and other political appointees to refrain from participating in, endorsing, sponsoring, attending or accepting awards from private organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President.
In a directive dated June 8, 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, the Presidency expressed concern over the growing trend of public officials receiving awards from private bodies claiming to recognise them as “best-performing,” “most outstanding,” or “most influential” office holders.
According to the directive, many of the organisations conferring such honours are largely unknown to the public, with unclear credentials and no transparent, objective or verifiable criteria for assessing the performance of public officials.
The Presidency warned that the proliferation of such awards could undermine the integrity of public service, create misconceptions about government performance assessment and expose the government to unnecessary public criticism and embarrassment.
The statement stressed that public office is a responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana and that performance should not be measured through privately organised ceremonies, self-appointed rating bodies or commercial award schemes whose methodologies are not subject to public scrutiny.
It noted that the true measure of the performance of ministers and chief executives lies in their ability to achieve policy objectives, implement government programmes, deliver measurable results and manage public resources prudently.
The directive further disclosed that the Presidency will, in due course, undertake a comprehensive review of the performance of ministers and chief executive officers. Findings from the assessment will inform decisions on retention in office, reassignment of responsibilities and any future cabinet or executive restructuring.
Public officials have therefore been urged to focus on executing their mandates and delivering results to the people of Ghana rather than seeking recognition through external award schemes of questionable credibility.
By: Bernard Mensah |Planbfmonline.com
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