The Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, has blown the alarm on the controversial “Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours”.
According to the SIGA boss, he was asked to pay to receive an award at the “Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours”.
Kpessa-Whyte highlighted that attendance at the event to receive the supposed honour was tied to payment either of a sponsorship package of GH¢50,000 or the purchase of a dinner table of eight at GH¢25,000.
In a post shared on X the SIGA boss, Kpessa-Whyte, stated, “Out of caution, I advised my staff to contact the organisers and seek clarity. It was only then that we 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 for eight at GH¢25,000.
In other words, the path to public recognition appeared to have been tied to financial contribution.
I opted not to be part of it.”
His comments follow the uproar on social media, particularly on X, after Linda Ocloo, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, won the Best Regional Minister Award at the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards, with the Lands Minister also shockingly picking up the Best Minister award despite the escalating galamsey menace.
The event was held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Labadi Beach Hotel, bringing together government officials, traditional leaders and stakeholders.
Also, the event was graced by Ga Mantse His Royal Majesty, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.
Reports suggest the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards recognised individuals across various sectors for their contributions to governance and national development.
Other winners on the night were the Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who was named Best Male Performing Minister for 2026; also, Dorcas Toffey, the Deputy Minister of Transport, emerged as Best Deputy Minister at the awards ceremony.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, was adjudged Best Female Minister.
Following the announcement of Linda Olcoo as the Best Regional Minister, netizens on X have made a mockery of the award.
One X user added, “Chale, so they gave Linda Ocloo the ‘Best Minister’ award just after she said transferring people to the North is “punishment”? The criteria for this award are funny, oo!”.
A netizen added, “This is the same nonsense the NPP was doing that Ghanaians didn’t like. Linda Ocloo is arguably one of the most incompetent ministers this country has ever had. Just when the public is calling for her to be reshuffled, you decide to reward her instead.
In the end, it’s actions like these that put democracy in jeopardy”.
Lydia Forson on X added, “Someone decided to organise Ministers’ Awards, and not one person paused to ask whether it was a good idea?
You got dressed up and accepted awards from yourselves instead of being judged by the people you serve?
What kind of self-congratulatory exercise is this?
At a time when communities are flooding, this is the optics you chose?
Bad. Very bad look”.
Jacqueline Ansomah Yeboah, a Joy News reporter, also shared her opinion, saying, “Maybe it’s just me, but today is the first time I’m hearing about the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours.
What caught my attention even more is that this was the SIXTH edition, meaning it has been running for years.
As a citizen, I’m curious:
Who nominates the ministers?
Who evaluates their performance?
What criteria are used?
Is the assessment based on measurable outcomes, public feedback, policy delivery, or something else?
I’m not questioning whether excellence should be recognised. Public servants who perform well deserve acknowledgement.
I’m simply interested in understanding the process behind the awards and what benchmarks are used to determine who qualifies as “Minister of the Year.”
Anyone familiar with how it work”.
See the post below:
He wrote as follows: “Out of caution, I advised my staff to contact the organisers and seek clarity. It was only then that we discovered that attendance at the event to receive the supposed honour was tied to payment.
— GHnow (@ghnow_) June 7, 2026
The options communicated were either a sponsorship package of… pic.twitter.com/ufUh0yKO60
