Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo says she is unsurprised by her recent selection as the "Best Regional Minister", asserting that the honour accurately reflects the performance and tangible impact of her administration.

Speaking in an interview with Asaase Radio on Monday, June 8, 2026, Madam Ocloo noted that public recognition acts as an incentive to do more.

Key administrative interventions

The Regional Minister cited a series of targeted interventions across critical sectors within the capital region to justify the award. She specifically highlighted her work in addressing:

Sanitation: Implementing localised clean-up and waste management strategies.

Security and Infrastructure: Resolving volatile chieftaincy conflicts, settling boundary disputes, and expanding street-lighting projects.

Disaster Prevention: Managing persistent flooding challenges through direct structural interventions.

A central component of her flood-mitigation strategy involved executing demolition exercises targeting unauthorised structures built on waterways and protected Ramsar ecological sites. Madam Ocloo acknowledged that these decisions have negatively impacted her public approval ratings among affected groups.

"Knowing very well that some of the buildings at Ramsar sites will have an effect when it rains, I went on and I did a lot of demolition. Hence, I have a lot of people that hate me because of this demolition exercise," she stated, adding that despite high public expectations, her efforts earned her the recognition.

Presidency Bans Unauthorised Private Awards

Coinciding with the Minister's remarks, the Presidency has issued a sweeping directive banning all Ministers of State, chief executive officers of state institutions, and political appointees from accepting honours from private bodies without explicit clearance.

The official directive, signed by the Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, stems from concerns raised by President John Dramani Mahama regarding the proliferation of "best-performing" or "most influential" titles conferred by private entities.

The executive order notes that many of these awarding organisations operate with unverified credentials, lack public prominence, and fail to utilise transparent or verifiable criteria when evaluating the performance of public servants.