Socrate Safo is a veteran Ghanaian filmmaker
Veteran filmmaker, politician and pundit Socrate Safo has waded into the controversy surrounding the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards, criticising public officials who accepted honours from private organisations without questioning their credibility.
His comments come on the heels of the backlash that followed the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards held on June 6, 2026, at the Labadi Beach Hotel, where several government officials, including Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo and Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah were honoured.
In an interview with Okay FM on June 11, 2026, Socrate Safo described the incident as a result of ministers focusing on popularity instead of their jobs.
"What are you expecting? This is Ghana for us. When we stop focusing on the work and get excited about trends, this is what happens. When anybody calls you and says that there is an award for you, can't you question it?" he said.
He cited the infamous Dr UN Awards scandal, pointing out how some individuals who criticised celebrities for falling victim ended up being implicated.
"What hurts me is that we saw something similar with the Dr UN Awards. One particular person who criticised those who fell victim to the Dr UN Awards was one of those whom I saw receiving the Minister's awards," he revealed.
Socrate Safo also used a personal story to prove his point about authentic recognition.
He recalled a young man who used to call him regularly asking for small sums of money later called to send money to his account as a gesture of gratitude.
"He initially wanted to send a large amount, but I told him to send just GH¢100. The gesture alone was enough," Safo recounted.
He said, that story is proof that if the public officials in question had just done their work, they would have received organic recognition from the public rather than an award scheme.
"So if you do your work, the people themselves will praise and recognise you. Not any random award," he said.
Meanwhile, the Office of the President has instructed all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions, and other political appointees to stop accepting awards from private bodies without prior authorisation.
It stressed that the performance of public officials would be assessed based on tangible outcomes, measurable impact, and effective service delivery, not privately organised ceremonies with unverifiable criteria.
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