President John Dramani Mahama has come under scrutiny following the appointment of three close relatives of his Special Advisor, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, to high-profile positions within state institutions.
The latest among the appointments is Clara Bawa Arthur, Joyce Bawa’s sister, who has been named the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS).
Clara Bawa Arthur is a seasoned Financial Technology professional with over 15 years of experience in the financial services and tech industries. She previously held leadership roles at Fidelity Bank Ghana and GhIPSS, where she served as General Manager for Business Development. In 2024, she was listed among the 20 Most Influential Fintech Leaders in Ghana.
The Husband of Clara Bawa Arthur, one Samuel Arthur has also reportedly been appointed to another state-owned company.
Also appointed is John Sheriff Bawa, Joyce’s brother, who now serves as the Managing Director of the State Housing Company. His appointment marks a return to public sector leadership for the Bawa family, raising questions about nepotism and fairness in public appointments.
In addition, Joyce’s husband, Hudu Mogtari, has been appointed Chairman of the Governing Board of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) by President Mahama.
The appointments have sparked heated debate on social media, with critics accusing the President John Mahama of doing family and friends government.
Nonetheless, the clustering of appointments within a single family has added fuel to ongoing public concerns about favoritism and the concentration of power within inner circles of political influence.
In 2023, then candidate and former President Mahama described the Akufo-Addo-led government as “super incompetent” family and friends government.
According to him, the president has “loaded” his government with his relatives and tries to justify his every decision, although he Akufo-Addo criticised same when in opposition.
Speaking to supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the party’s Unity Walk in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Rgion on Saturday, 5 May 2018, Mr Mahama said: “One of the tags they put on us very successfully was that we were an incompetent government. I must say if you look at what this government has done so far in the one year three months, if that is what they call competence, I call it super incompetence, and, so, the government should be up and doing.
“They are changing all the rules of the game. When we were in government, they said: ‘The size of government was too high, you must reduce the size of government’. Then when they come into government and they appoint 110 ministers, 998 [presidential] staffers, then they say it’s not about quantity, it’s about quality. Who determines quality?
“When they are out of government, even when you are not doing family and friends, they say it’s a family and friends government, then, when they come into government, they appoint all their relatives into government and when you talk they say it doesn’t matter, it’s whether they are qualified, but who doesn’t have relatives who are qualified? I have plenty relatives who are qualified, who could have served in my government but the fact that you are president does not mean you must load your government with your relatives.”
