Governance and Leadership expert, Professor Enoch Opoku Antwi, has condemned the proliferation of awards for government appointees which has generated a lot of controversy in the country.
According to him, there are pressing issues confronting the country that need attention, rather than clamouring for awards that do not complement President Mahama’s ‘Reset Agenda’.
Speaking in an interview on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Monday, June 8, 2026, Prof. Antwi was emphatic: “Leadership is not about awards. It is about impact.” He noted that the country has many things to deal with, making an administration which is less than two years in office unripe for honouring government appointees.
“If you look at the situation that we find ourselves; the floods, the Korle Bu issue. This is not the time for awards, especially when you have a ‘Reset Agenda’ as your manifesto, in-between, less than two years is not the time to award individuals for what they’ve done and I think that the letter is on point,” he told host, Alfred Ocansey.
Professor Antwi’s comments come on the back of a controversial award ceremony over the weekend, prompting the Presidency to issue a statement warning government appointees to desist from participating in such awards until they get authorisation from the Office.
‘Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours’
On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the award dubbed “Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours,” a 6th Edition, was organised in Accra.
It was organised by Big Events Ghana, whose founder is Prince Emmanuel Markey.
It is an award scheme designed to recognise public officials, ministers, and institutional leaders for their purported contributions to governance and national development.
The Key Performance Index (KPI) for selecting award winners for this is not publicly known, nor is the panel or team that selects award winners, also publicly known.
Controversy
The most recent 6th edition of the awards, after the Saturday event at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, has drawn public criticism, with backlash from some in relation to the credibility of self-awarded or privately organised honours for appointees during times of community hardship and infrastructural challenges.
The key award winners for 2026 included: Overall Best Performing Minister: Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (Minister of Finance and acting Minister of Defence), Best Regional Minister (Greater Accra): Linda Ocloo, Best Male Performing Minister: Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (Minister of Lands and Natural Resources), Best Female Performing Minister: Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey (Eastern Regional Minister), Best Deputy Minister: Dorcas Affo Toffey (Deputy Minister of Transport).
Presidential directive
It is in response to this and concerns over the credibility of the awarding organisation that the Office of the President issued the directive dated June 8, 2026, banning all Ministers of State and CEOs from accepting privately organised awards without explicit presidential authorisation.
In a letter from the Office of the President dated June 8, 2026, signed and issued by the Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, and copied to all ministers of state and CEOs of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), it was explained that “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.”
President John Dramani Mahama directed all ministers of state, chief executive officers of state institutions, and other political appointees to refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President.
According to the Presidency, it has been noted with concern that there was an 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.
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 presidency indicated.
“Public office is a solemn responsibility entrusted to officials by the people of Ghana. Performance in the 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,”it said.
“His Excellency, therefore, directs that all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of State Institutions, and other political appointees refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from such organisations unless expressly authorised by the Office of the President,” the letter added.
It said the government remains focused on delivering on its commitments to the people of Ghana.The true measure of the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers is the extent to which they fulfil the policy objectives, programmes, and sector-specific targets outlined in the 2024 National Democratic Congress Manifesto, the Government’s development agenda, and the performance indicators agreed upon with their respective supervising authorities.
Accordingly, Ministers and Chief Executive Officers are reminded that their performance will be assessed based on tangible outcomes, measurable impact, effective service delivery, prudent management of public resources, and the successful implementation of Government policies and programmes.
“His Excellency the President wishes to emphasise that, in due course, the Presidency will undertake a comprehensive review of the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers. 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.
Public officials are therefore encouraged to devote their full attention to the execution of their mandates and the delivery of results for the people of Ghana rather than seeking or participating in external recognition schemes of questionable credibility.
