Stop the ‘Pay-for-Praise’ Awards – UEW Lecturer Urges President to Ban Appointees From Private Honors

A Political Marketing Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba, Dr. Bernard Boahen Tutu, has called on President John Mahama to prohibit political appointees from accepting private awards amid allegations that some nominees were required to pay money before receiving honors.

Speaking on the growing controversy surrounding private award schemes organized by Big Event Ghana, Dr. Tutu argued that the credibility of such recognitions is undermined when financial contributions become a prerequisite for selection.

According to him, while there is nothing inherently wrong with appointees being recognized for outstanding service, reports that nominees may have been asked to pay for awards raise serious concerns.
“It wouldn’t have been a serious issue for appointees to be awarded, but the extent to which awardees had to pay monies negates the system,” he said.

He added that such practices create the impression that awards can be bought rather than earned through merit and performance.

Dr. Tutu further warned that some award schemes may present a distorted picture of governance performance.
“The awards perhaps seem to throw some dust into the eyes of the government as though everything is going well, but that may not be the case,” he stated.

He suggested that the President may possess information that could cast doubt on the credibility of such award programs and that the President should act decisively to address the issue.

The lecturer stressed that appointees should focus on delivering results instead of seeking public recognition through questionable award schemes.
“The President is sure of what his appointees can deliver, hence their appointment. They should work to prove themselves worthy instead of resorting to an unnecessarily paid-for award.”

Dr. Tutu also proposed establishing clear performance benchmarks for appointees and questioned the criteria used to determine award winners.
“I suggest there should be a yardstick to measure the performance of appointees to assess them.”
He further called for a probe into allegations that organizers solicited money from nominees before conferring awards.
“I think they should probe the allegation of soliciting money from nominees before being awarded. It should be investigated.”

His comments add to the growing debate over accountability, public relations, and ethical conduct within government circles, as scrutiny of political appointees intensifies.