Joyce Mogtari Bawah, special aide to John Mahama, the NDC’s flagbearer, has urged political leaders to elevate their political conversations and focus on the issues.
She noted that the NDC leader, John Dramani Mahama, stands tall when it comes to speaking to issues and articulating his vision for the country, given his experience in leading the nation.
She urged political parties to run decorous campaigns, as this helps to elevate the conversation around development.
“He [Mahama] actually also represents the future that all of us are looking forward and I am looking forward to him successfully prosecuting this campaign and winning the election come December 7th”.
“I have always been for the fact that we should elevate the conversation. I have been watching the campaign as we’ve progressed. I have watched Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang…I have looked at John Mahama himself and I’ve come to realize that when we look at the conversations as we progress, there are some things that we foot soldiers just can say and we can get away with it because the demand from us is not as high as our bosses”.
Joyce Mogtari Bawah
Furthermore, Bawah noted that when it comes to political party leaders, the focus should be on what they intend to do and how they plan to achieve it, emphasizing the things that truly matter, as they will be held accountable.
She indicated that the focus should be on issues of state capture and corruption while cautioning the appointees and future appointees of John Mahama not to expect any special treatment in return for their services.
Joyce Bawah further stated that before the conversation about ex-gratia payments began, the NDC had already made a solid decision to scrap the ex-gratia payments to Article 71 office holders.
She noted that the NDC will reaffirm its commitment to this course by starting with its next government, ensuring that government appointees know and accept that they will not receive ex-gratia payments after their services.
“The rest of it [conversation around ex-gratia] will require some parliamentary conversations and engagement with the other sections”. – Joyce Mogtari Bawah
Accountability In Politics, A New Era
Moreover, Joyce Mogtari Bawah expressed her delight that, for the first time, political parties and their leaders are being held accountable for the policies they propose, and are being scrutinized strictly.
She pointed out that Ghanaians have come to understand that grand promises are empty without concrete commitments, highlighting the need for more substantive and elevated political discourse.
“So I think that it is important that we establish that we are clearly committed… John Mahama and the NDC are actually being very cautious. I love the fact that now people will ask you, ‘give us time’, ‘how much is this going to cost’, ‘how do you think this is going to work out?’…”
Joyce Mogtari Bawah
Joyce Bawah asserted that John Mahama and the NDC have a deep understanding of what is in the best interest of the country, emphasizing that John Mahama has an unparalleled knowledge of Ghana’s needs and challenges among political leaders in the country.
She pointed out that Ghanaians are no longer willing to engage in meaningless conversations that lack substance and fail to contribute to the country’s growth and advancement.
Accordingly, she emphasized that the NDC is avoiding making unrealistic promises to the citizens ahead of the election, taking a cautious approach to ensure that its commitments are feasible and achievable.
Joyce Bawah encouraged citizens to hold leaders accountable by demanding evidence of their promises, specifically urging them to evaluate the government’s performance on its commitments to address corruption, state capture, poverty, and other key issues.
She expressed dismay over the rampant squandering of resources under the current government, noting that the wasted resources could have been allocated to areas of greater need, where they would have had a more meaningful impact.
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