Stay away from private award schemes - President orders Ministers, CEOs
President John Dramani Mahama has issued a directive barring all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of State-Owned Enterprises and other political appointees from participating in or accepting awards from private organisations without express authorisation from the Office of the President.
A circular dated June 8, 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Calistus Mahama, expressed concern over the increasing trend of public officials seeking recognition from various private bodies purporting to rank them as "best-performing", "most outstanding", or "most influential" office holders.
The Presidency noted that many of the organisations conferring such awards are largely unknown to the public, operate with unclear credentials and apply no transparent or verifiable criteria in assessing performance.
"Public office is a solemn responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana. Performance in 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," the circular stated.
The President directed that all affected officials refrain from sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from such organisations unless the Office of the President grants explicit permission.
The government emphasised that the true measure of performance lies in the achievement of the policy objectives outlined in the 2024 National Democratic Congress (NDC) Manifesto, the government's development agenda, and the performance indicators agreed upon with supervising authorities.
Performance review
The Presidency indicated that a comprehensive performance review of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers will be undertaken in due course.
The findings shall constitute a key basis for decisions relating to retention in office, reassignment of responsibilities and any future Cabinet or executive restructuring.
Public officials have been encouraged to devote their full attention to executing their mandates and delivering results for the people of Ghana rather than seeking external recognition schemes of questionable credibility.
The directive was copied to the Vice President and the Chief of Staff at Jubilee House, Accra.
Background
The proliferation of private award schemes targeting public officials has been a recurring concern in Ghana’s governance landscape.
Over the past decade, a growing cottage industry of self-styled “excellence awards”, “leadership summits” and “performance recognition” events has emerged, with many requiring honourees or their institutions to provide financial sponsorship or pay participation fees.
Critics have long argued that such events create perverse incentives by rewarding officials who cultivate media visibility and purchase prestige rather than those who quietly deliver on their mandated targets.
There have also been questions about whether state funds are sometime
