Aide to the President of Ghana, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, has stated that life after leaving office can be extremely difficult for former presidents in the country.
According to her, although Ghana’s Constitution makes provisions to support former presidents, accessing those benefits has often been inconsistent due to political disagreements.
In a post shared on X, Joyce Bawa Mogtari explained that the state is mandated to provide former presidents with essential amenities, including an office, two residential houses—one in Accra and another in their hometown—official vehicles, healthcare, and other forms of support.
However, she noted that ideological differences and political tensions between successive governments have made it challenging for former leaders to fully enjoy these benefits.
“Remember that currently the state is enjoined to provide an office, two houses, one in Accra and another in their place of origin, cars, health, etc. But due to differences in ideology and conflicts between different political parties, the provision of these amenities has not been consistent, using President Mahama’s experience as an example,” she stated.
Joyce Bawa Mogtari described the situation as worrying and called for a more humane and non-partisan approach toward former presidents.
She further urged Ghanaians to speak with former President John Agyekum Kufuor to better understand the challenges faced by leaders even after they leave office.
“Let me be honest with you, go ahead and have a conversation with Former President Kufuor and he will tell you how tough life can be even for former Presidents because of the enormous responsibilities they carry even out of office,” she added.
