President Mahama and Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie praised as Scheme goes live
By Clement Akoloh
Accra, July 27, 2026
Ghana has officially launched the National Integrity Awards Scheme, with a call for integrity to become a national culture rather than just a slogan.
Speaking at the launch, the outgoing Chair of the National Integrity Awards Team, Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin said “nations are ultimately built not only by constitutions and not only by roads and markets… but by the values and principles that guide the conduct of their people and institutions.”
“If Ghana is to become the nation we want — a peaceful, just, prosperous, respected, stable and secure nation — then integrity must move from rhetoric to reality,” he stated.
From Policy to Everyday Conduct
The Chair noted that integrity must be “visible in leadership, present in institutions, reflected in the use of public resources, demanded by citizens and honoured by the nation.”
He thanked members of the National Integrity Awards Team for their “passion, commitment and service” and acknowledged institutions and individuals who contributed to the governance framework, nomination and scoring guidelines, and operational arrangements for the launch.
He also recognized “partners in civil society, the anti-corruption community, the media and the development community” for their support.
Call to Action
The Chair urged all Ghanaians to commit to “build a Ghana where integrity is a culture, ethical leadership is celebrated, accountability is a norm and national development is a reality not an aspiration.”
The Rt.Hon. Speaker, expressed gratitude to His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama and His Lordship the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, and all gathered for the launch.
“May God bless our homeland Ghana and make the nation greater and stronger,” he concluded.
The National Integrity Awards Scheme, established in 2025 under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, is a national initiative to identify, recognize and honour individuals and institutions that demonstrate exceptional commitment to ethical conduct, transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption. Beyond celebrating exemplary conduct, the Scheme is designed to inspire a national culture in which integrity is actively promoted, valued and rewarded.
The Scheme will recognize outstanding conduct across nine categories spanning the Executive, Parliament, the Judiciary, anti-corruption and law enforcement institutions, the security services, public service institutions, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), the private sector, civil society and whistleblowers. It also introduces a special “Vulture Award” intended to draw public attention to conduct considered detrimental to national integrity and to stimulate broader public discourse on accountability.
The Scheme is administered by the National Integrity Awards Committee, chaired by His Lordship Justice William Atuguba (Rtd.), and comprises distinguished personalities and representatives from key public and private sector institutions.
Source: parliamentnews360.com
