Interior Minister Pushes People-Centred Leadership to Reform Ghana’s Security Sector

Ghana’s Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, is calling for a shift in how public institutions are led. His message is direct. Leadership must focus on people, communication and trust, not titles or hierarchy.

He made the remarks at the 2025 Annual Performance Review Workshop of the Ministry of the Interior and its agencies in Ada. The theme of the event was clear: strengthening security governance, accountability and service delivery through performance review and strategic alignment. But beyond performance metrics, the minister focused on culture.

Public institutions operate within structures. But structure alone does not guarantee performance. According to the minister, institutions function better when staff feel respected and heard.

He warned that excessive hierarchy can suppress innovation. He also noted that junior officers often have practical insights yet rigid command systems can prevent them from contributing.

“Leadership is not about titles or hierarchy; it is about people, communication and trust,” he stressed. The argument is simple. When staff feel valued, productivity improves. When they feel silenced, institutions stagnate.

Upon assuming office, the minister adopted an open-door policy. He encouraged frank engagement across all levels. This included junior officers and support staff. He cited small but deliberate actions:

• Direct staff engagement

• Open discussions during meetings

• Recognition of workers regardless of rank

These steps, he said, improved morale and teamwork. They reduced invisible barriers within the ministry. Sometimes reform does not begin with budgets, it begins with culture.

The workshop brought together heads of agencies under the ministry. Present were Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patience Baffoe-Bonney, Acting Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, Samuel Basintale Amadu as well as other senior officials.

The review assessed both financial and non-financial performance for the 2025 fiscal year. But the minister clarified that the exercise was not just about expenditure but also about results.

According to him, performance review must be honest and strategic.

The Interior Ministry oversees critical agencies responsible for Prisons, Immigration and Internal security.

Strong leadership within these agencies affects national stability. The minister stressed the need for inter-agency collaboration, strategic alignment, professional conduct, and public trust.

He argued that security governance is not only about enforcement. It is about service delivery and citizen confidence.

The minister’s emphasis on people-centred leadership signals a broader shift. Across Africa, public sector reform often focuses on policy and structure, but culture remains overlooked. Hierarchy can maintain order, yet too much hierarchy can block innovation.

If Ghana’s security institutions succeed in blending discipline with open communication, it could reshape how governance functions. Leadership, in this context, becomes less about command and more about coordination. Less about authority and more about trust.