The Presidency has issued a strict directive prohibiting Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions, and other political appointees from participating in or accepting awards from private organisations without prior approval.
The order, communicated by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, follows growing concern from President John Dramani Mahama over what has been described as an increasing culture of award schemes targeting public officials with titles such as “best-performing”, “most outstanding”, and “most influential”.
According to the Presidency, many of the organisations behind these recognitions lack clear institutional credibility, with questionable standards and opaque criteria for evaluating public sector performance.
“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 Presidency warned that such practices risk distorting public perception of government performance, undermining the integrity of public service, and exposing the administration to avoidable criticism and embarrassment.
It stressed that public office is a position of trust and responsibility, adding that performance cannot be determined by privately organised ceremonies or commercial award schemes that lack transparent and verifiable benchmarks.
His Excellency, therefore, directed that all public officials “refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from such organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President.”
The statement further reiterated that government remains focused on delivering its policy agenda and development commitments, particularly those outlined in the 2024 National Democratic Congress manifesto and agreed performance targets.
It added that the assessment of public officials will be based on “tangible outcomes, measurable impact, effective service delivery, prudent management of public resources, and the successful implementation of government policies and programmes.”
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