Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Senior Aide and Advisor to President John Dramani Mahama, has backed the Resetting Ghana agenda while admitting that work remains, particularly on jobs for young people. She made the case in a commentary on the President’s #ResettingGhana Tour of the Ahafo Region, which ended with a Citizens’ Engagement in Goaso on October 10, 2026.
Mrs Bawah Mogtari credited the government for progress on infrastructure, healthcare and fiscal discipline, and argued that poverty and inequality have weighed too long on women and children.
She also acknowledged that graduate unemployment remains a serious national concern. President Mahama, for his part, announced plans to extend road rehabilitation and construction to all 16 regional capitals ahead of Ghana’s 70th Independence Anniversary.
“If we truly want to reset the country and build a future that works for everyone, then we must support what is working, hold government accountable where it falls short, and remain committed to the greater national interest.”
Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Senior Aide and Advisor to the President
A Retired Officer’s View From Ahafo
Mrs Bawah Mogtari opened with a voice from the region. A retired military officer based in Ahafo shared his candid views with her, she wrote, and he is not named. He stated: “I have watched developments across our country with keen interest, and I believe President John Dramani Mahama is leading with a clear sense of purpose and direction.”
She argued that the evidence is visible across the country. Poverty and inequality have weighed heavily on Ghanaians for too long, she wrote, particularly on women and children, and a government committed to distributing development more equitably deserves the opportunity to deliver.
The Resetting Ghana agenda, in her telling, is about a country where opportunity is not reserved for a privileged few. Mrs Bawah Mogtari pointed first to roads. She cited the Big Push infrastructure programme and the efforts of the Roads Minister to ensure that contractors meet agreed timelines.
On health, she named the National Health Insurance Scheme, Free Primary Healthcare and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund as signs of a renewed focus on real needs. Earlier reporting adds plans for regional referral hospitals in the Oti, Savannah and Western North regions. In her view, the emphasis is on closing longstanding gaps.
Credit for Fiscal Discipline
Mrs Bawah Mogtari credited President Mahama and Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson with a renewed commitment to fiscal responsibility and a more prudent approach to public borrowing. She wrote that work in energy, agribusiness, education, local government and transportation forms part of a wider effort to rebuild the foundations of the economy.
She insisted that governance should be held to a high bar. “Leadership is a standard. Governance is a standard,” she wrote. The commentary offers no figures on borrowing or growth to support the claim.
Mr Bawah Mogtari did not present the record as complete. She wrote that young people want jobs, dignity and opportunities to build meaningful lives, and she called youth unemployment, particularly among graduates, a serious national concern.
“But we must also acknowledge the work that remains.” She was candid about the limits of government. “Government alone cannot provide every job,” she explained, but it can create the conditions in which businesses invest, industries expand and new opportunities emerge.
That is why she believes investments in infrastructure, economic reform, energy, agriculture and human capital matter. In her words, they are not simply projects on paper but building blocks for a stronger economy and a more hopeful future for young people.
Goaso Engagement Closes the Tour
A statement from the Presidency at Jubilee House describes the Goaso engagement as the end of President Mahama’s two-day tour of the region.
The President acknowledged the support of traditional authorities and residents during the 2024 General Election and outlined ongoing interventions in road infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture and economic recovery.
He disclosed plans to expand road rehabilitation and construction to all 16 regional capitals before the 70th anniversary of independence, alongside initiatives to improve access to primary healthcare and specialised medical treatment. The statement gives no costs, project lists or completion dates.
The tour also included visits tied to farming and industry. Earlier reports show that President Mahama inspected the site of a Goaso farmer services centre and a Bechem poultry processing factory.
Reading the Commentary in Context
Mrs Bawah Mogtari serves inside the Presidency, so her commentary reflects the government’s own account and should be read that way. Her admission that work remains is notable, but she gives no targets for youth jobs and does not engage with critics of the government’s record.
Her closing appeal asks for patience, purpose and collective responsibility. She ended on a note of balance, stating that there is work to do and also reason to hope. For now, residents in Ahafo and the other regions will judge the tour by whether the road pledges made in Goaso turn into visible work on the ground.
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