Professor Baffour Agyemang-Duah, a respected governance expert, questions the legitimacy of numerous awards given to public officials by private groups. He argues the public, not a select few, should judge these officials' work through elections. His comments follow a directive from the Presidency for officials to seek prior approval for such accolades.
Professor Agyemang-Duah stressed that public officials are appointed or elected to serve the citizenry. He believes the most credible way to assess their performance is through democratic accountability. This means citizens evaluate leaders at the ballot box, rather than through private award programs. He expressed these concerns on Channel One TV on Monday, June 8.
This issue reflects a broader debate in Ghana about accountability and transparency in public service. The proliferation of awards for political office holders has raised questions about their true purpose. Critics suggest these awards sometimes lack clear selection criteria and public justification. This trend risks undermining public trust in official performance metrics.
“Public officials are elected or appointed to serve the public, and the best to judge the performance of such officials would be the public, not a small group of people who will sit somewhere without even sharing the criteria for these awards with the public that put them there,” Professor Agyemang-Duah stated. This highlights his belief that public officials derive their mandate from the electorate.
Moving forward, the directive from the Presidency will likely influence how public officials engage with private award ceremonies. This move seeks to address concerns about transparency and the potential for these awards to be perceived as lacking genuine merit. It could lead to a more rigorous vetting process for recognition, shifting focus back to democratic accountability. Decision-makers and the public will observe how this new policy impacts the landscape of public service recognition.
The controversy gained attention following the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours. This event recently recognized several government officials, including Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo. The Presidency’s intervention aims to curb the acceptance of awards from organizations with unclear credentials. Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, signed the directive. He cited concerns about non-transparent and unverifiable evaluation standards used by many such organizations. This directive signals a push for greater scrutiny over external recognition for public servants. The aim is to ensure that any accolades genuinely reflect merit and public service. It reinforces the principle that public service is primarily accountable to the people of Ghana.