President John Dramani Mahama has directed ministers, heads of state institutions and other political appointees to seek approval from the Office of the President before accepting awards from private organisations, citing concerns over the credibility of some award schemes.
The directive, issued on June 8, comes amid growing scrutiny of privately organised awards that recognise public officials and is aimed at safeguarding the integrity of public service, the Presidency said.
According to the directive, many organisations conferring awards on government officials operate without transparent or verifiable criteria for assessing performance.
“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,” the statement said.
Mahama said the increasing practice of public officials receiving honours from private entities risked undermining public confidence in state institutions and creating the impression that performance in public office could be measured through privately organised ceremonies.
Under the new directive, ministers, chief executive officers of state institutions and other political appointees have been instructed not to participate in, sponsor, endorse, attend or accept awards from private organisations without prior clearance from the Presidency.
The president described some award organisers as self-appointed rating bodies whose assessment standards are not subject to recognised or independent scrutiny.
He said public office was a responsibility entrusted by citizens and should not be reduced to the pursuit of plaques, citations or ceremonial honours.
“The true measure of a public official’s performance lies in the impact of their work and the extent to which they deliver on government policies and national development objectives,” the directive said.
Mahama urged appointees to focus on implementing government programmes and fulfilling commitments under the administration’s development agenda rather than seeking external recognition.
The directive also signalled a tougher approach to performance monitoring within the government.
Mahama said ministers and heads of state institutions would undergo formal assessments by the Presidency in the coming months, with the results influencing decisions on retention, reassignment or future government restructuring.
The move comes as privately organised award schemes, including the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards organised by Big Events Ghana, have gained prominence in recent years by recognising current and former public officials.
While organisers have defended such awards as a means of celebrating excellence in public service, the Presidency said government performance should be evaluated through established accountability mechanisms rather than private ceremonies.
Mahama said public servants would ultimately be judged by the impact of their work on the lives of Ghanaians rather than the number of awards they receive.
