The Presidency has announced that Ministers of State and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of state institutions will undergo a comprehensive performance review that could result in a Cabinet reshuffle and changes within government leadership.
The directive, issued on June 8, 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, also prohibits ministers, CEOs and other political appointees from participating in or accepting awards from private organisations without prior approval from the Office of the President.
According to the Presidency, there has been a growing trend of public officials receiving honours from private organisations that claim to identify the “best-performing,” “most outstanding,” or “most influential” office holders.
The statement expressed concern about the credibility of many of these award schemes.
“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 public confidence in government performance assessments and expose the administration to criticism.
It stressed that public service should be judged by results rather than recognition from private organisations.
“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.”
As a result, President John Dramani Mahama has directed all ministers, CEOs of state institutions and political appointees to refrain from participating in, sponsoring, endorsing, attending or accepting such awards unless expressly authorised by the Presidency.
The directive further reminded government appointees that their performance would be measured against policy objectives, development targets and agreed performance indicators.
“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.”
The Presidency also revealed that a formal review of ministers and CEOs will be conducted in the coming months, with the findings expected to influence decisions on appointments and government restructuring.
“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.”
The directive comes just days after the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards, held at the Labadi Beach Hotel on June 6, where several government appointees were honoured. The event sparked public debate over the credibility of the awards and the criteria used in selecting recipients.
The Presidency concluded by urging public officials to focus on delivering results for Ghanaians rather than seeking external recognition from organisations of questionable credibility.
