The Office of the President has issued a directive banning Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of state institutions, and political appointees from participating in or accepting awards from private organizations.
The directive, signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, follows growing concerns within the presidency regarding a rising trend of public officials receiving what it described as unverified honours.
Government expressed unease over private entities declaring state officials as the “best-performing”, “most outstanding”, or “most influential” public office holders without verifiable benchmarks.
According to the presidency, many of the entities organising these ceremonies are largely unknown, lacking clear credentials or transparent criteria for assessing public service.
“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,” the statement read.
The administration emphasised that public office carries a solemn responsibility to the Ghanaian people, one that cannot be evaluated by commercial award schemes or self-appointed rating bodies operating outside of public scrutiny.
Moving forward, public officials are prohibited from attending, sponsoring, or endorsing such events unless they receive explicit authorization from the Office of the President.
Instead of external accolades, the executive stressed that the performance of government officials will strictly be measured against tangible outcomes, effective service delivery, and the policy objectives outlined in the 2024 National Democratic Congress Manifesto.
The directive further warned that these metrics will directly influence future political appointments.
“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,” the presidency noted.
State officials have been urged to shift their focus entirely toward executing their official mandates and delivering results for the citizenry rather than pursuing external recognition of questionable credibility.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana