The Board Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Nii Moi Thompson, has criticised public officials for accepting awards while persistent flooding and other longstanding development challenges continue to affect the country.
According to him, government officials should focus on implementing existing national development plans and addressing critical challenges rather than celebrating achievements that he believes are not reflected in the lived experiences of citizens.
His comments come in the wake of a directive from the Presidency instructing Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of state institutions, and other political appointees to refrain from participating in or accepting awards from private organisations without prior approval from the Office of the President.
The directive followed the 6th Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra on Saturday, June 6, 2026, where several government officials were honoured.
Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo received the Best Regional Minister Award, while Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah was named Best Male Performing Minister.
Speaking in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, June 9, Dr Thompson expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of commitment to implementing development plans that were designed to tackle challenges such as flooding, urban congestion and infrastructure deficits.
He argued that Ghana already has well-developed policy frameworks and strategic plans capable of addressing many of the country’s recurring problems, but successive administrations have failed to ensure their implementation.
“There are no mechanisms for sanctions. The people who are supposed to make sure that we have these things [the Ghana Infrastructure Plan] are clowning around on social media. It pisses me off, to be blunt with you,” he said.
“People who have been entrusted with the responsibility to manage the country are now spending their time on social media, and they are indulging in dubious awards. It offends me and saddens me. Everything we’re going through shouldn’t be. There’s a blueprint,” he added.
Dr Thompson’s remarks come amid renewed concerns over flooding in Accra and several other parts of the country following recent heavy rains that displaced residents, damaged property and disrupted economic activity.
The flooding has also prompted the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other state agencies to undertake demolition exercises targeting structures considered to be obstructing waterways and posing risks to lives and property.
The NDPC Board Chairman has consistently argued that many of the country’s development challenges, particularly recurrent flooding, could have been significantly reduced if recommendations contained in the Ghana Infrastructure Plan and other long-term development frameworks had been implemented.
He maintains that Ghana’s problem is not the absence of plans, but the failure to enforce and execute them, stressing that meaningful progress will require greater accountability and a stronger commitment to long-term national development objectives.
