President Mahama has ordered all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions, and other political appointees not to accept or participate in awards from private organisations without prior clearance from the presidency.
The directive, issued by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, follows concerns raised by President John Dramani Mahama over the growing trend of public officials being honoured by private bodies as “best-performing”, “most outstanding”, or “most influential” office holders.
According to the directive, many of these organisations are largely unknown to the public, have unclear credentials, and lack transparent or verifiable criteria 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 warned that the proliferation of such awards could undermine the integrity of public service, create misconceptions about how government performance is assessed, and expose the government to unnecessary public criticism and embarrassment.
The Presidency stressed that public office is a solemn responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana and that performance cannot be measured through privately organised ceremonies or commercial award schemes whose methodologies and standards are not subject to public scrutiny.
It therefore directed all public officials to “refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from such organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President.”
According to the statement, government remains focused on delivering its policy commitments and development agenda, particularly those outlined in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 manifesto and other agreed performance targets.
It added that the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers would be assessed based on “tangible outcomes, measurable impact, effective service delivery, prudent management of public resources, and the successful implementation of government policies and programmes.”
The Presidency also disclosed that a comprehensive review of the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers would be conducted in due course, with the findings serving as a key basis for decisions on retention in office, reassignment of responsibilities, and future executive restructuring.
Public officials were consequently urged to devote their attention to delivering results rather than seeking recognition through external award schemes whose credibility may be difficult to verify.
The directive comes 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.
At the event, Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, received the Best Regional Minister Award, while Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, was named Best Male Performing Minister.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas Toffey, was adjudged Best Deputy Minister, while Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, received the Best Female Minister Award.
Below is the full directive from the Jubilee House:
PARTICIPATION IN PRIVATE AWARD SCHEMES AND RELATED EVENTS
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.
In many instances, the organisations conferring such awards are largely unknown to the public, their credentials are unclear, and no transparent, objective, or verifiable criteria exist for assessing the performance of public officials. Consequently, the proliferation of such awards has the potential to undermine the integrity of public service, create misconceptions regarding government performance assessment, and expose the Government to unnecessary public criticism and embarrassment.
Public office is a solemn responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana. Performance in the office cannot be measured by privately organised ceremonies, self-appointed rating bodies, or commercial award schemes whose methodologies and standards are neither established nor subject to public scrutiny.
His Excellency, therefore, directs that all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of State Institutions, and other political appointees refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from such organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President.
Government remains focused on delivering on its commitments to the people of Ghana. The true measure of the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers is the extent to which they fulfil the policy objectives, programmes, and sector-specific targets outlined in the 2024 National Democratic Congress Manifesto, the Government’s development agenda, and the performance indicators agreed upon with their respective supervising authorities.
Accordingly, Ministers and Chief Executive Officers are reminded that their performance will be assessed based on tangible outcomes, measurable impact, effective service delivery, prudent management of public resources, and the successful implementation of Government policies and programmes.
His Excellency the President wishes to emphasise that, in due course, the Presidency will undertake a comprehensive review of the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers. The findings of this review shall constitute a key basis for decisions relating to retention in office, reassignment of responsibilities, and any future Cabinet or executive restructuring.
Public officials are therefore encouraged to devote their full attention to the execution of their mandates and the delivery of results for the people of Ghana rather than seeking or participating in external recognition schemes of questionable credibility.
Your cooperation in this matter is highly appreciated.
Please accept the assurances of the highest consideration of His Excellency, the President of the Republic.
CALLISTUS MAHAMA, Ph.D.
Secretary to the President
