Mahama's Inheritance: A Job Well Done Says Joyce Bawah

Presidential Advisor Joyce Bawah Mogtari has lauded President John Dramani Mahama’s performance, asserting his administration has made considerable strides despite inheriting a severely indebted nation.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, December 19, Ms. Mogtari argued the government deserves acknowledgment for progress achieved in its first year.

“Let’s give credit where credit is due. The government is barely under a year old, almost,” she said.

Ms. Mogtari highlighted President Mahama’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment, recalling his promise at inauguration. “I believe that at its inauguration, President Mahama told all of us that Ghana was actually going to be open for business. I think he’s walked his talk,” she stated.

She acknowledged the immense challenges faced by the administration, particularly concerning the national economy. “Look, it has not been easy. It’s been a very, very tough year. Difficult financial decisions are being made. Difficult choices are being made,” she explained.

Despite the economic hardships, Ms. Bawah pointed to strong public support demonstrated by President Mahama’s electoral victory and the ruling party’s parliamentary majority. “There’s enormous hope also in the system. For a very long time, for a president to win way in excess of 56 per cent of total valid votes cast, to have a super majority in Parliament, literally it is almost as if all of the votes have aligned to give you this country at this time, at a time when we are in very, very dire straits,” she said.

The level of national debt inherited by the Mahama administration, she stressed, was capable of overwhelming any leader. “Sometimes I ask myself how President Mahama has survived the year, knowing the level of our indebtedness alone. And this is not about external debts. It’s also about the debts that are local,” Ms. Mogtari shared.

She further referenced various audit reports revealing significant financial irregularities within state institutions. “Go to these government agencies. Time after time, we have audit reports, whether it’s a forensic audit report, an ordinary audit report, or even the Public Accounts Committee report. They should tell you the amounts that are owed, all sorts of people, the levels of procurements that were totally unnecessary,” she detailed.

Ms. Mogtari noted instances of over-procurement, with agencies acquiring goods far exceeding immediate needs. “In some agencies, items have been procured between now and the next 10, 15 years. You don’t even know whether or not these items will still be worthy of being utilised as the years go by,” she said.

She described the previous administration’s approach as irresponsible, lacking effective checks and balances. “There was this irresponsibility in the system, if I can call it that. It was almost as if there were no checks and balances, that everybody was alone to themselves. If you made up your mind on Monday morning that this is what you wanted to do at the ministry, you were free to do so,” she explained.

Ms. Bawah Mogtari also highlighted the Meridian Port Services project in Tema as a successful example of the current administration’s commitment to development. “The day we went to the Meridian Port Services commissioning in Tema, I was enormously humbled,” she said. “If you visit that part of Tema and if you knew it then, it’s against what we have now. It tells you what commitment to development can do.”

She emphasized the project’s contribution to job creation and broader economic growth in the area. “Look at the levels of persons that this particular investment even employs. Today, they are considering working and contributing meaningfully to the Tema expansion project through the motorway all the way to the industrial city. We are looking at the regeneration even of the industrial city of Tema,” she added.

Concluding, Ms. Mogtari noted a shift in public expectation, with Ghanaians now holding leaders to a higher standard of accountability. “There is something that leadership provides when the leadership is serious and committed. And when there’s a certain sense that, look, Ghanaians this time around are not going to pamper you. Ghanaians are not going to sit and watch and wait for things to go awry before they start to protest,” she stated.

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