The Office of the Cabinet Secretary has issued a formal reminder to all Ministers of State to strictly comply with established Cabinet protocols before making any public declarations regarding government policies or initiatives.
This advisory follows a rising pattern where certain Ministers have unveiled significant programmes in the name of the Government without prior consultation, scrutiny, or endorsement by Cabinet.
On Friday, October 24, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced a directive mandating the use of indigenous languages for instruction in basic schools. The following day, he instructed the Ghana Education Service to assume full authority over student discipline and to prohibit learners from attending school with unauthorized hairstyles.
However, a Cabinet communiqué obtained by Citi News on Monday, October 27, emphasized that no policy, programme, or major initiative shall be deemed official Government policy unless it has been formally presented to, debated by, and sanctioned by Cabinet, in accordance with governance procedures and the constitutional principle of collective responsibility.
Ministers have been instructed to channel all proposed policies, programmes, or legislative actions through the Chief Director of their respective Ministries to the Cabinet Secretariat. These submissions will then be scheduled for Cabinet deliberation.
The directive underscores that following this procedure is vital to preserving policy consistency, reinforcing collective Cabinet accountability, and ensuring that all Government communications represent a unified and authorized stance.
Ministers have also been cautioned against making public pronouncements or initiating actions that lack Cabinet endorsement, as such measures will not be acknowledged as official Government policy.
The Cabinet Secretary’s Office concluded by urging all Ministers to act in accordance with this guidance.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has clarified that the directive on using Ghanaian languages for instruction applies solely to Kindergarten through Primary Three (Lower Primary), and not to the entire basic education level.
This clarification comes in the wake of Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s announcement on the mandatory use of local languages in schools — a decision that has ignited widespread public discourse.
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