The Ghana government has directed all ministers, chief executive officers of state institutions, and other political appointees to obtain approval from the Office of the President before accepting awards from private organisations.
The directive, issued by President John Dramani Mahama on June 8, is aimed at protecting the integrity of public service and addressing concerns over the increasing number of award schemes targeting public officials.
According to the Presidency, many of these awards are presented by organisations whose credibility, assessment methods, and selection processes are often unclear.
The government warned that participation in such events could expose public officials and institutions to criticism and weaken public confidence in governance.
Under the new directive, political appointees are prohibited from sponsoring, endorsing, attending, or accepting awards from privately organised recognition schemes without prior authorisation.
President Mahama described some organisers as self-appointed rating bodies whose standards and evaluation criteria are not subject to public scrutiny.
