President John Dramani Mahama has directed all ministers, chief executive officers of state institutions and other political appointees to refrain from participating in or accepting awards from private organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President.
The directive was contained in a circular dated June 8, 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama.
According to the Presidency, the decision follows concerns over the growing number of private organisations conferring awards on public officials and branding them as the “best-performing”, “most outstanding” or “most influential” office holders.
The statement noted that many of these organisations are largely unknown to the public and often lack transparent, objective and verifiable criteria for assessing the performance of public officials.
“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 directive stated.
The Presidency warned that the proliferation of such awards could undermine the integrity of public service, create misconceptions about how government performance is assessed and expose the government to unnecessary criticism.
It stressed that public office is a responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana and that performance should not be measured through privately organised award schemes or self-appointed rating bodies.
“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 statement said.
President Mahama further directed all political appointees to refrain from sponsoring, endorsing, attending or accepting awards from such organisations without prior approval from the Presidency.
The directive emphasised that the true measure of performance for ministers and chief executive officers would be based on their ability to deliver on policy objectives, programmes and sector-specific targets outlined in the 2024 manifesto of the National Democratic Congress and the government’s development agenda.
According to the Presidency, officials will be assessed on tangible outcomes, measurable impact, effective service delivery, prudent management of public resources and the successful implementation of government policies.
The statement also disclosed that the Presidency will in due course undertake a comprehensive review of the performance of ministers and chief executive officers.
The outcome of that review, it said, will play a significant role in decisions regarding retention in office, reassignment of responsibilities and any future cabinet or executive restructuring.
Public officials have therefore been urged to focus on delivering results for Ghanaians rather than seeking recognition through external award schemes of questionable credibility.
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