The Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Michael Kpessa-Whyte, has cautioned public officials against participating in award schemes that require payment or sponsorship as a condition for recognition, describing such practices as a threat to integrity and accountability in public service.
In a strongly worded statement, Prof. Kpessa-Whyte disclosed that he recently declined an invitation to receive a purported “Best CEO of the Year” award after discovering that attendance and recognition at the event were tied to financial contributions.
According to him, organisers of the event, dubbed the “Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours,” informed his office that recipients were expected either to purchase a sponsorship package worth GH¢50,000 or buy a dinner table for eight at GH¢25,000.
He said the arrangement raised serious concerns about the credibility and transparency of the award scheme.
Questions over credibility.
Prof. Kpessa-Whyte explained that he had no information about the criteria used in selecting awardees, the composition of the assessment panel, the period covered by the award, the performance indicators employed or whether any independent verification had been undertaken.
He noted that genuine recognition should be based on merit, evidence, measurable impact and transparent evaluation rather than financial contributions.
“Once payment becomes the condition for visibility, attendance or receipt of honour, the exercise risks losing its moral authority,” he stated.
Call for prudence.
The SIGA Director-General urged public appointees, heads of institutions and public servants to exercise caution before associating themselves with award schemes whose assessment processes are unclear.
He said institutions must interrogate the credibility of organisers, the methodology used in selecting awardees and whether public funds would be required to support participation in such events.
Where satisfactory answers are not provided, he advised that the prudent decision would be to decline participation.
Service above recognition.
Prof. Kpessa-Whyte stressed that public office should not be viewed as a platform for personal glorification but rather as an opportunity to serve citizens and improve national development outcomes.
He argued that the true measure of leadership was not the number of plaques or citations received but the quality of reforms implemented, the efficiency of public institutions and the positive impact on the lives of citizens.
“The real award is not a plaque handed over at a hotel ceremony. The real award is a public institution that works better because of one’s leadership,” he stated.
Focus on national development.
He further called on public officials to remain focused on delivering the government’s development agenda, strengthening accountability, protecting the public purse and improving service delivery.
According to him, Ghana’s current development challenges require discipline, modesty and a renewed commitment to public service rather than the pursuit of ceremonial recognition.
He maintained that history would ultimately judge leaders not by the awards they collected but by the contributions they made towards improving the lives of Ghanaians and strengthening national institutions.
