The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has defended her recognition as "Best Regional Minister" for 2026 by "Big Events Ghana" with its "Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours," 6th Edition.

Insisting that the award reflects her performance in office and the impact of her work in the Greater Accra Region, Linda Ocloo said those talking about the honour she received with suggestions that it was a paid award were only jealous of her achievement.

Referencing an article by the Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Prof Michael Kpessa-Whyte that "real honour is service, not paid recognition," Linda Ocloo suggested in a radio interview with Accra- based Asaase that the SIGA boss was making those suggestions because of a political rivalry between the two of them in the Shai Osudoku constituency.

Prof Kpessa-Whyte, in the past, contested Linda Ocloo in the parliamentary primary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and lost to her.

"I have defeated Kpessa-Whyte four consecutive times, and so if Kpessa-Whyte thought at a point that because I was recognised, he want to tarnish... are you telling me that Ato Forson who received the award gave an amount before he received it, Armah Kofi Buah, did he pay for it before he was recognised, Ruth Sedoh from National Service, did she pay for it and other dignataries ...

"Mr dear, we shouldn't entertain such, I don't want to use the words on him, but please spare me this, I have gone through a lot... I'm stressed, I don't want to discuss anything about Kpessa-Whyte, if he had personal issues, he should deal with the institutions not me, she said in the interview with Asaase Radio on Monday morning (June 8, 2026)

What Kpessa-Whyte wrote

In his article, Prof Kpessa-Whyte had indicated that he had earlier received a letter from an organisation styling itself as the “Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours,” and that the letter informed him he had been adjudged “Best CEO of the Year” and was invited to receive the award at an event scheduled to take place at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.

However, he felt that ordinarily, recognition for public service should be a matter of humility, gratitude, and sober reflection.

"No serious public officer should be indifferent to appreciation where such appreciation is grounded in transparent assessment, demonstrable performance, public impact and institutional credibility."

However, public recognition must never be reduced to a transaction in which the recipient first pays for the honour before being celebrated.

Prof Kpessa-Whyte indicated that in this particular case, he did not know which year the award covered, nor knew the criteria used for the assessment. He did not know the composition of the assessment panel or the indicators against which performance was measured.

He indicated that out of caution, he advised his staff at SIGA to contact the organisers and seek clarity and it was only then that they discovered that attendance at the event to receive the supposed honour was tied to payment.

The options communicated were either a sponsorship package of GH¢50,000 or the purchase of a dinner table of eight at GH¢25,000.

In other words, the path to public recognition appeared to have been tied to financial contribution and so he opted not to be part of it.

Linda Ocloo's reaction

"Before the God I serve, I never paid a penny for this award, I didn't pay a penny, I don't know for the others because I cannot speak for them, but for me, I never paid, why should I pay for an award. My dear, if you will not recognise me, people recognise me. I am the MP for Shai Osudoku, did I pay them [constituents] before they gave me the mandate for three terms, it is because of the good work I did for them," she said in the radio interview on Monday morning.

The Minister granted this interview to the radio station in the morning, hours before a directive from the Presidency was issued in the afternoon, directing all 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 minister, the recognition serves as motivation to do more, adding that she believes her efforts in the region justify the honour.

She pointed out that she has undertaken several interventions across key sectors in the Greater Accra Region and believes her work has earned public acknowledgement.

The Minister highlighted interventions in areas including sanitation, chieftaincy disputes, street lighting, boundary issues, and flood management as part of her achievements.

“I wasn’t surprised by the award I received because sometimes I keep telling people that the little efforts you do when people recognise what you are doing, and they give you that recognition, it empowers you to do more.

“I know I’ve done a lot for the good people of Greater Accra. Yes, expectations are high though but I think I’ve done a lot that I deserve that recognition and so to God be the glory.

“I have tackled sanitation within Greater Accra Region. I have tackled chieftaincy disputes within the Greater Accra Region. I have tackled street lighting within the Greater Accra Region. I have tackled boundary issues within the Greater Accra Region,” she said in the interview with Asaase Radio on Monday, June 8 also aired by Citi FM and monitored by Graphic Online.

Madam Ocloo also referenced efforts to address flooding challenges in the region, including demolition exercises she says were carried out to prevent construction on waterways and Ramsar sites. She however acknowledged that some of her decisions, particularly demolition exercises, have made her unpopular among sections of the public.

“I tackled flooding within the Greater Accra Region… knowing very well that some of the buildings at Ramsar sites will have effect when it rains, I went on and I did a lot of demolition. Hence, I have a lot of people that hate me because of this demolition exercise,” she added.

"Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours"

Last 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 one 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 infrastructure 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 that 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.
Your cooperation in this matter is highly appreciated.

Please accept the assurances of the highest consideration of His Excellency, the President of the Republic," the letter concluded.