The Presidency has directed all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions, and other political appointees to stop accepting or participating in awards from private organisations unless they first obtain approval from the Office of the President.
The directive, issued by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, follows growing concerns from President John Dramani Mahama over what has been described as an increasing trend of public officials receiving honours from private award schemes.
According to the statement, many of these organisations are considered to have unclear credentials and lack transparent standards for assessing the performance of public officials.
“His Excellency the President has noted with concern the increasing trend of Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of State Institutions, and other public officials participating in and accepting awards from various private organisations purporting to recognise them as the ‘best-performing’, ‘most outstanding’, or ‘most influential’ public office holders,” the statement noted.
The Presidency warned that such awards could undermine the credibility of public service and create misleading perceptions about how government performance is measured. It also cautioned that the practice could expose government to avoidable public criticism and embarrassment.
It further stressed that public office is a responsibility entrusted by citizens and should not be subject to privately organised ceremonies whose assessment criteria are not independently verified.
“Public office is a solemn responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana,” the statement said, adding that performance “cannot be measured through privately organised ceremonies or commercial award schemes whose methodologies and standards are not subject to public scrutiny.”
The directive therefore instructs all affected officials to “refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from such organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President.”
The Presidency also reaffirmed that government remains focused on delivering its development agenda, particularly commitments outlined in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 manifesto and other performance targets.
It added that the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers will instead be assessed based on measurable outcomes, service delivery, prudent use of public resources, and effective implementation of government policies.
A comprehensive performance review of ministers and chief executives is expected to be conducted in due course, with its findings informing decisions on possible retention, reassignment, or restructuring within the executive arm of government.
Officials have since been urged to concentrate on delivering results rather than pursuing recognition from external award schemes whose credibility, the Presidency argues, may be difficult to verify.
The directive comes just days after several government officials were honoured at the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.
