By Amoako Kwame
President John Dramani Mahama has signalled that a government reshuffle may be imminent as the administration moves to evaluate the performance of Ministers and Chief Executive Officers of State Institutions.
According to a statement released by the Presidency on Monday, June 8, Secretary to the President Callistus Mahama announced that President Mahama will soon conduct a thorough assessment of all Ministers and Heads of State Institutions. The review will inform decisions on whether officials will remain in their current positions, be reassigned to new roles, or be relieved of their duties.
The Presidency stated that the outcome of the performance review will play a significant role in determining whether public officials remain in their positions, are assigned new responsibilities, or are affected by future Cabinet and executive changes.
The statement also emphasised that government appointees should prioritise delivering tangible results for Ghanaians rather than pursuing or accepting recognition from external award schemes whose credibility may be questionable.
It noted that several private organisations that confer titles such as “best-performing”, “most outstanding” or “most influential” on public officials often lack transparent evaluation processes, clear qualification criteria and verifiable standards for measuring performance.
According to the Presidency, the growing practice of Ministers, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions and other public servants participating in and accepting such awards could compromise the integrity of public service, create misleading perceptions about how government performance is assessed, and subject the government to avoidable criticism and public embarrassment.
The statement further underscored that holding public office is a serious trust and responsibility that should not be evaluated through privately organised ceremonies or commercial award schemes whose assessment standards are not open to public scrutiny.
Consequently, the President has instructed all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers and political appointees to refrain from participating in, endorsing, sponsoring or accepting awards from such organisations unless they have received prior approval from the Office of the President.
The statement reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling its policy objectives and advancing its development agenda, stressing that the performance of public officials will be evaluated based on measurable results, quality service delivery, responsible stewardship of public resources and the successful implementation of approved policies.
It further urged public office holders to concentrate on carrying out their duties and achieving meaningful outcomes for Ghanaians rather than pursuing or participating in external award schemes whose credibility may be in doubt.
The Presidency also indicated that a comprehensive assessment of ministers and chief executive officers will be undertaken at the appropriate time. The findings of this review will guide decisions regarding Cabinet reshuffles, administrative reassignments and other executive changes.
