A fierce public backlash has greeted the launch of the Sacred Crown Awards by the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, with a concerned citizen, Kelvin Kwaku Yeboah, mounting a scathing critique that has intensified debate over the credibility and purpose of award schemes in Ghana.
Mr. Yeboah, in a strongly worded rejoinder responding to media reports on the launch, described the initiative as “unnecessary,” “unprogressive,” and a contributor to what he calls the growing “vanity award” culture eroding public confidence in national honours systems.
The Sacred Crown Awards, launched at a high-profile event in Accra, is designed to recognise individuals, institutions and communities promoting African heritage, spirituality and wellness. The Ga Mantse positioned the scheme as a platform to preserve Africa’s cultural identity, celebrate indigenous knowledge systems, and honour changemakers serving humanity.
But Mr. Yeboah flatly rejects this justification, arguing that the awards add no measurable value to Ghana’s socio-economic development and merely duplicate already established and credible recognition platforms.
He points out that Ghana’s awards landscape is already saturated with reputable schemes across sectors, including the Ghana Club 100 Awards, the Millennium Excellence Awards, and various industry and cultural awards that celebrate excellence in business, governance, arts, manufacturing and community development.
According to him, the introduction of yet another awards scheme risks further diluting standards and undermining the integrity of genuinely meritorious honours.
“Clearly, there are already enough awards in the system that are doing much better than what this new award seeks to do,” he argued, insisting that the Sacred Crown Awards would “contribute nothing positive to the growth of this country.”
Beyond concerns about duplication, the rejoinder raises fundamental questions about the conceptual basis of the awards, particularly its focus on spirituality and wellness—areas Mr. Yeboah says lack clear, objective and measurable criteria for assessment.
He questioned what “scientific and transparent metrics” could be used to determine winners in such categories, warning that the absence of rigorous evaluation standards could undermine the credibility of the scheme.
Mr. Yeboah also took issue with the branding of the initiative, arguing that even the name “Sacred Crown Awards” does not reflect authentic Ghanaian or African identity, and therefore weakens its cultural legitimacy.
In one of the most biting sections of the rejoinder, he characterised the awards as an “egoistic publicity event” and an “image enhancement enterprise” aimed at elevating the personal stature of the Ga Mantse rather than delivering tangible benefits to the people.
The critique further broadens into a wider indictment of what he describes as the unchecked proliferation of awards in Ghana, warning that the trend has created a system where honours are increasingly perceived as self-serving rather than merit-based.
“The proliferation of questionable awards… has consistently showcased the devaluation of very true, well-intentioned and meritorious awards with its attendant loss of public confidence,” he stated.
Shifting focus to governance and local development, Mr. Yeboah urged the Ga Mantse to prioritise pressing challenges in Ga Mashie—particularly sanitation, flooding and poverty—rather than investing time and resources into what he considers a non-essential initiative.
He argued that these socio-economic issues demand urgent attention and collaborative leadership among traditional authorities in Accra.
In a dramatic escalation, the concerned citizen called on government, religious leaders—including the National Chief Imam—and the media to boycott the awards scheme, describing it as a “self-promoting” venture disguised as a national initiative.
Despite the sharp criticism, organisers of the Sacred Crown Awards have maintained that the initiative is rooted in a broader vision to restore pride in African values, promote unity and recognise individuals safeguarding the continent’s cultural and spiritual heritage.
The Ga Mantse, at the launch, emphasised that the awards are anchored on three pillars—African Heritage, Spirituality and Wellness—which he described as essential to building cohesive communities and a confident African identity.
The deepening controversy now places the Sacred Crown Awards at the centre of a wider national conversation—not only about cultural preservation, but also about accountability, credibility and the true purpose of recognition systems in Ghana.