The Director-General of SIGA, Kpessa-Whyte, has disclosed that he declined an invitation to receive an award at the “Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Honours” after discovering that recipients were required to make a financial commitment.
In a statement, he explained that he instructed his staff to seek clarification from the organisers, who revealed that attendance and receipt of the award were contingent on either purchasing a sponsorship package worth GH¢50,000 or buying a table for eight at GH¢25,000.
“Out of caution, I advised my staff to contact the organisers and seek clarity.
It was only then that we discovered that attendance at the event to receive the supposed honour was tied to payment,” he stated.
According to Kpessa-Whyte, the arrangement suggested that public recognition was linked to financial contribution, a condition he was unwilling to accept.
“In other words, the path to public recognition appeared to have been tied to financial contribution. I opted not to be part of it,” he added