The Presidency has directed all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of State institutions, and other political appointees to desist from participating in, endorsing, or accepting awards from private organisations unless expressly authorised.

The directive follows concerns raised by His Excellency the President over the increasing involvement of public officials in privately organised award schemes that purport to recognise individuals as “best-performing,” “most outstanding,” or “most influential” office holders.

According to a circular issued by the Office of the President, many of the organisations behind such awards are not widely known, while their credibility and the criteria used in selecting awardees remain unclear and unverified.

It noted that the proliferation of such awards has the potential to undermine public confidence in the assessment of government performance and could expose the administration to unnecessary public criticism.

The Presidency stressed that public office is a trust conferred by the people, and that performance cannot be measured through privately organised ceremonies or commercial award schemes whose methodologies are not subject to public scrutiny.

The directive further indicated that government officials will instead be assessed based on measurable outcomes, policy implementation, and sector-specific targets outlined in the 2024 National Democratic Congress Manifesto, as well as the broader government development agenda and agreed performance indicators.

It added that a comprehensive review of the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers will be conducted in due course, with its findings expected to inform decisions on retention, reassignment, and possible restructuring within the executive arm of government.

Public officials have therefore been urged to focus on their official mandates and avoid involvement in external recognition schemes of questionable credibility.

The directive was issued by Dr Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, and circulated to all Ministers of State and Chief Executive Officers of State-Owned Enterprises, with copies to the Vice President and the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Jubilee House.

President bans officials from accepting private awards

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