Linda Ocloo, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, has fumed over the SIGA Director-General, Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte, over his criticism of award schemes that require substantial payments from nominees or recipients.
According to Linda Ocloo, she has no intention of engaging SIGA Director-General Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte over his criticism.
She disclosed that anyone with concerns about such awards should direct them to the institutions involved, not to her personally.
Speaking on Asaaseradio, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, stated, “I will not even allow you to talk about Kpessa-Whyte; you know issues between me and me. I have defeated Kpessa-Whyte four consecutive times.
So if he felt that because I was recognised, he wants to tarnish…, are you telling me that Ato Forson, who also received an award bribe or gave an amount before he received the award, Armah Kofi-Buah, did he pay for it before he was recognised?
Our able and revered chiefs who honour the program, are you telling me they paid before? My dear, we should not entertain such things. I don’t want to use a word on him, but please spare me this. I have gone through a lot.
I don’t want to discuss anything about Kpessa-Whyte. If he has personal issues, he should deal with the institutions, not me”.
Her comments follows, the CEO of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Kpessa-Whyte, who 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 by Hubert Tieku Esq, the SIGA boss, Kpessa-Whyte, is said to have said, “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.”
Meanwhile, Prince Mackay, the founder and CEO of Big Events Ghana, has been identified as the man behind the “Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours”, which has now been rocked by award-for-cash allegations.
He is best known for the Radio and Television Personality (RTP) Awards, which is now a national event and a pan-African platform.
Reports suggest he is a driving force behind the Africa Gospel Awards Festival (AGAFEST) and has also been involved in the Ghana-Nigeria Music Awards USA.
The information gathered suggests he holds a degree in International Tourism from the University of Cape Coast and a Master’s Degree in Information Technology from Kean University, USA.
In a post shared on X, Olele Salvador wrote, “Meet Prince Mackay of Big Events Ghana, the man behind the 6th edition of the “Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours.”
He’s no stranger to the awards business.
He’s also the architect behind the Ghana Wedding Awards(2022) and the Radio & Television Presenters (RTP) Awards.
Turning awards schemes into a proven business model in Ghana eh?”.
Listen to the audio below:
🚨ICYMI🇬🇭🏆🗣️: Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo says she has no intention of engaging SIGA Director-General Prof. Michael Kpessa-Whyte over his criticism of award schemes that require substantial payments from nominees or recipients.
— Ölele Salvador🦅🇬🇭 (@OleleSalvador) June 8, 2026
Speaking on @asaaseradio995, Ocloo…
