“I Know I’ve Done A Lot” — Greater Accra Minister Defends Best Regional Minister Award
Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo has stood firmly behind her recognition as Best Regional Minister, saying the award came as no surprise and accurately reflects the body of work she has put in since taking office — even as the Presidency moves to restrict political appointees from accepting honours from private organisations without prior approval.
Speaking in an interview with Asaase Radio on Monday, June 8, Madam Ocloo was unapologetic in her assessment of her own performance, describing the recognition as a well-deserved acknowledgement of her efforts across the region.
“I wasn’t surprised by the award I received because sometimes I keep telling people that the little efforts you do, when people recognise what you are doing and give you that recognition, it empowers you to do more. I know I’ve done a lot for the good people of Greater Accra.
Yes, expectations are high though, but I think I’ve done a lot that I deserve that recognition and so to God be the glory,” she said.
The minister rattled off a list of areas where she said her administration has made measurable progress, including sanitation, street lighting, chieftaincy disputes, boundary matters and flood mitigation.
She was particularly candid about the demolition exercises carried out on buildings along waterways and Ramsar sites — interventions she said were necessary to reduce flooding but which have earned her fierce criticism from affected residents.
“I tackled flooding within the Greater Accra Region… knowing very well that some of the buildings at Ramsar sites would have an effect when it rains, I went on and did a lot of demolitions. Hence, I have a lot of people that hate me because of this demolition exercise,” she acknowledged.
Her comments, however, arrive at a delicate moment. The Presidency has recently issued a directive barring ministers of state, chief executives of state institutions and other political appointees from accepting awards from private organisations without first securing approval from the Office of the President.
The directive, signed by Secretary to the President Callistus Mahama, follows concerns expressed by President John Dramani Mahama over the growing trend of private bodies bestowing honours on government officials — often using lofty titles such as “best-performing,” “most outstanding” or “most influential” — with many of the awarding organisations lacking public visibility, verifiable credentials or transparent evaluation criteria.
The juxtaposition of Madam Ocloo’s award defence and the Presidency’s fresh directive is likely to draw further scrutiny, raising questions about whether the recognition she received falls within the bounds of the new guidelines now in force.
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