Joyce Bawah Mogtari, high-profile Presidential Advisor and aide to John Dramani Mahama, has intensified the discourse on political legacy and ministerial responsibility, suggesting that former President Nana Akufo-Addo missed a critical window to preserve his goodwill by not stepping aside after his first term.
In a candid assessment of the NPP’s eight-year tenure, Mogtari argued that the administration’s early fixation on dismantling and criticizing the work of its predecessor effectively stalled national momentum.
“I do believe, as many have actually come to conclude, that maybe after his first time he really should have left office. I remember he spent a lot of the first few years literally attacking everything that his predecessor had done or hadn’t done. Leadership must be grounded in responsibility and accountability”
Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Presidential Advisor and Aide John Dramani Mahama
Mogtari’s critique centered on the “opportunity cost” of a second term that she believes was characterized by fiscal indiscretion and a refusal to acknowledge the successes of the previous regime until they became too prominent to ignore.
A primary friction point in Mogtari’s narrative was the “wasted years” spent attacking the Mahama administration’s infrastructure record. She pointed specifically to the Meridian Port Services (MPS) project at the Tema Port – an initiative she claimed was initially vilified by the Akufo-Addo team only to later be celebrated as a cornerstone of Ghana’s maritime success.
To Mogtari, this illustrates a leadership style that prioritized political optics over the recognition of national value.
Her argument for a one-term exit stems from the observation that the “significant goodwill,” Akufo-Addo enjoyed in 2017 was largely depleted by a second term that struggled with focus and delivery.
The Ofori-Atta “Coupon” Crisis
Perhaps the most stinging aspect of her critique was directed at former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Mogtari highlighted the “marvel” of high-interest commercial borrowing that characterized the Ofori-Atta era, questioning the sustainability of the debts accrued. She contrasted the latitude given to the former minister with the harsh economic reality now facing the country, asserting that the sheer scale of the debt would bankrupt any private enterprise.
Focusing on the perceived lack of responsibility, Mogtari argued that the duty of a Finance Minister is a sacred trust that does not dissolve upon leaving the office, particularly when successive governments are left to untangle a web of high-coupon rate commercial loans.
“Under your tenure, Ghana had huge debts, literally very high debts, we bought at very high rates, very high commercial rates. Sometimes you hear some of those coupon rates, and you marvel. If it were your private business, irrespective of what you invested in, you might never be able to recoup, even to pay off these debts”
Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Presidential Advisor and Aide John Dramani Mahama
Central to this was the broader question of whether ministers can – or should – avoid scrutiny once they return to private life. Mogtari rejected the idea that a former appointee could refuse to respond to investigations, reminding the political class that they “swear an oath that binds them in all faithfulness to the citizens.”
She framed accountability as a continuous duty, suggesting that if a minister truly felt the weight of the “duty placed on them,” their approach to borrowing and spending would be radically different. The duty to clear one’s name is presented as a prerequisite for any public servant who has presided over the nation’s treasury.
“Ministers are also committed in pretty much the same way as the President. They swear an oath of office,” Mogtari reminded.
Ultimately, Mogtari’s intervention served as a demand for a higher standard of consistency in responsibility. By arguing that the “buck starts and stops,” with the officeholder, she pushed for a political culture where the fear of post-tenure investigation acts as a check on executive power.
As Ghana continues to grapple with the fiscal fallout of the last eight years, and a former Finance minister on the run, Mogtari’s take on the “first-term exit” will likely resonate as a warning to future leaders about the fragility of political goodwill and the permanence of ministerial accountability.
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