SIGA boss exposes GH¢50,000 'pay-to-receive' Best CEO award scheme

The Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Prof Michael Kpessa-Whyte, has revealed that he declined a "Best CEO of the Year" award after discovering that receiving the honour was tied to a financial contribution.

In an opinion piece published on Daily Graphic on June 7, 2026, he said he received a letter from an organisation calling itself the "Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours" informing him that he had been selected for the award and invited to a ceremony at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.

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According to him, he was not provided with details about the assessment process, the criteria used, the period covered by the award, the composition of the selection panel or the other nominees.

“In this particular case, I did not know which year the award covered. I did not know the criteria used for the assessment. I did not know the composition of the assessment panel. I did not know the indicators against which performance was measured. I did not know who the other contenders were. I did not know whether any independent verification had been conducted,” he wrote.

Kpessa-Whyte stated that out of caution, he asked his staff to seek clarification from the organisers, during which they discovered attendance at the event was linked to payment.

"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," he continued.

Prof Kpessa-Whyte said the organisers offered two options for participation.

"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," he stated.

He said the arrangement raised concerns for him about the credibility of the award scheme.

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

The SIGA Director-General argued that recognition should be based on merit, evidence and transparent assessment rather than the ability of a recipient to pay.

Prof Kpessa-Whyte further urged public institutions to thoroughly examine the credibility, assessment methodology and funding requirements of award schemes before associating with them.

He maintained that public service should be measured by results and impact rather than plaques and ceremonial honours.

"History will not remember us for the number of awards we collected. It will remember us for whether we used the opportunity of office to make Ghana better," he concluded.

His comments come days after the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards was held on June 7, 2026, at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra.

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The event recognised several government officials for their contributions to public service. Among the awardees was Linda Ocloo, who was named Best Performing Regional Minister for 2026.

Others honoured at the ceremony included Cassiel Ato Forson, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, and Dorcas Affo-Toffey, among several other public officials.

MAG/VPO

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