All Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions, and other political appointees have been directed by the Presidency to avoid accepting or participating in awards from private organisations without prior clearance from the Office of the President.

The directive, issued by Secretary to the President Callistus Mahama, stems from President John Dramani Mahama’s concerns about the growing number of private bodies honouring public officials as “best-performing”, “most outstanding”, or “most influential” office holders.

The Presidency expressed worry that many of these organisations lack public recognition, have questionable legitimacy, and do not apply transparent or verifiable standards in assessing 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.”

It further cautioned that such practices could weaken public trust in governance, distort perceptions of performance, and subject government to unnecessary ridicule and criticism.

The statement emphasised that public service is a trust placed in officials by the people of Ghana and cannot be judged through privately organised award events or commercial schemes with unclear methodologies.

As a result, all officials were instructed to “refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from such organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President.”

The Presidency reiterated that government remains committed to its development priorities, especially those outlined in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 manifesto and related policy targets.

It added that future assessments of Ministers and CEOs will focus on “tangible outcomes, measurable impact, effective service delivery, prudent management of public resources, and the successful implementation of government policies and programmes.”

A formal performance evaluation of ministers and chief executives will be conducted later, with results expected to guide decisions on retention, reassignment, and restructuring.

Public officials were advised to concentrate on delivering results rather than pursuing recognition from external award schemes whose credibility may be questionable.

The directive comes after the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.

At that ceremony, Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo was awarded Best Regional Minister, while Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah was named Best Male Performing Minister.

Deputy Transport Minister and Jomoro MP Dorcas Toffey won Best Deputy Minister, and Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey was recognised as Best Female Minister.

The event, which gathered government officials, traditional leaders, and other stakeholders, was also attended by the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.