Presidential Advisor and aide to President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, says she agrees with growing public sentiment that former President Nana Akufo-Addo should have stepped aside after his first term in office.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, December 19, Ms Bawah said that although President Akufo-Addo came into office with significant goodwill, his administration lost focus early on by spending years criticising the work of his predecessor.
“I do believe, as many have actually come to conclude, that maybe after his first time he really should have left office,” she said.
“I remember he spent a lot of the first few years literally attacking everything that his predecessor had done or hadn’t done,” she added.
She cited the Meridian Port Services (MPS) project at Tema Port as an example of an initiative that was heavily criticised by the Akufo-Addo administration but has since proven its value.
“That investment didn’t even make sense to them. There were a lot of criticisms of that project. But today, it is the one project that I believe actually symbolises what a leader can achieve when they set their mind to it.”
Ms Bawah said leadership must be grounded in responsibility and accountability, a principle she believes was undermined under the previous administration.
Turning to former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, she criticised what she described as his refusal to take responsibility for decisions made during his tenure, particularly in relation to Ghana’s debt situation.
“There is a certain latitude that you ought not to give your appointees. There is a certain level of responsibility that they must also feel,” she said.
She pointed to the high levels of borrowing under Mr Ofori-Atta’s leadership at the Finance Ministry.
“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.”
“So what are we going to do with this money?” she asked. “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.”
Ms Bawah said it was troubling that a former minister entrusted with such responsibility would avoid scrutiny.
“We had somebody who was responsible, someone who was tasked to do this. Why would such an individual even want to refuse to come and respond to whatever investigations or questions are raised?”
She stressed that serving as Finance Minister carries one of the highest levels of public responsibility.
“If you serve as a finance minister, it is actually one of the highest levels of responsibility. And then you leave the office, and successive governments come in and say, ‘Look, we need to take a second look at these things,’” she added.
According to her, public office should never be viewed merely as a position of authority but as a duty owed to citizens.
“If a minister feels responsible, not just for the authority reposed in them, but for the duty also placed on them, imagine how they undertake their duties,” she said.
She noted that this responsibility does not end when a minister leaves office.
“When they are no longer ministers, they should feel the need either to clear your name or to explain to the citizens why you actually took certain decisions, or why some actions were taken,” she stated.
Ms Bawah reminded former ministers that they swear an oath similar to that taken by the President.
“Ministers are also committed in pretty much the same way as the President. They swear an oath of office. It is one that binds you in all faithfulness and diligence to the people that you are there to serve.”
She said accountability must follow office holders even after they leave government.
“When a minister is in office, he must always remember that the buck starts and stops with him. Even when there are questions to be answered when you leave, it is also your responsibility. It behoves you to be present to answer.”
She concluded by stressing that leadership is about consistency in responsibility.
“We wake up every day to our responsibilities, and that is how it should be.”
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