Mahama Bans Appointees From Accepting ‘Questionable Awards’ After Linda Ocloo, Others Honoured
- President Mahama has taken action over public officials accepting awards from questionable sources
- Concerns were raised over the credibility of award schemes targeting public officials amid opaque selection processes
- Upcoming performance assessments of Ministers will inform retention and restructuring decisions within the government
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President John Mahama has directed all his appointees to refrain from accepting awards from private organisations unless they receive prior approval from the Office of the President.
The directive sighted by YEN.com.gh forms part of efforts by the Presidency to safeguard the integrity of public service.
Source: Facebook
According to the directive, many of the award schemes currently targeting public officials are organised by entities whose credentials, assessment standards and selection processes are often unclear.
"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 expressed concern that the proliferation of such awards could expose government officials and institutions to public criticism while undermining confidence in public administration.
The directive specifically cautions appointees against participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending or accepting awards from privately organised ceremonies and commercial recognition schemes without express authorisation from the Presidency.
The directive also signalled increased performance monitoring within government.
Joy News reported that the presidency will undertake a comprehensive assessment of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers in the coming months.
According to the statement, the outcome of the review will play a key role in decisions concerning retention, reassignment and any future restructuring within government.
The President, therefore, urged all appointees to focus their attention on delivering results for Ghanaians rather than pursuing external recognition.
The directive comes on the back of the "Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards," staged by a private firm, Big Events Ghana, which has honoured serving and former ministers and chief executives across several editions.
Source: YEN.com.gh
