President John Dramani Mahama has directed all Ministers of State, Chief Executives of State Institutions, and political appointees to stop accepting awards from private organisations without express approval from the Presidency.
In a letter signed by Secretary to the President Dr. Callistus Mahama, the President expressed concern over the growing trend of public officials receiving “best-performing” and “most influential” awards from little-known private bodies.
The letter noted that most of these organisations lack public credibility, transparent criteria, or verifiable methods for assessing performance.
The President warned that such awards risk undermining public service integrity, creating false impressions about government performance, and exposing the administration to criticism.
“Public office is a solemn responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana. Performance cannot be measured by privately organised ceremonies or commercial award schemes whose standards are neither established nor subject to public scrutiny,” the directive stated.
Officials have now been ordered to refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from such organisations unless authorised by the Office of the President.
The President stressed that government performance will be judged by results, not ceremonies.
The true measure, he said, is delivery on the 2024 NDC Manifesto, government’s development agenda, and sector-specific targets agreed with supervising authorities.
According to him, assessment will focus on tangible outcomes, service delivery, prudent use of public resources, and policy implementation.
He also announced that the Presidency will soon conduct a comprehensive performance review of Ministers and Chief Executives.
The findings will inform decisions on retention, reassignment, and any future Cabinet or executive reshuffle.
Public officials have been urged to focus on executing their mandates and delivering results for Ghanaians, rather than chasing recognition from questionable external schemes.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme