Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Special Aide and spokesperson for President-elect John Mahama’s 2024 campaign, has expressed her deep disappointment following President Akufo-Addo’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, January 4, Mogtari slammed the outgoing president for what she described as a lack of humility and remorse in his address, which many Ghanaians had hoped would reflect on the challenges faced during his tenure.
“I was deeply disappointed after listening to President Akufo-Addo deliver his final State of the Nation Address,” Mogtari said, clearly frustrated.
“I didn’t hear a shred of regret, a modicum of sadness, or a touch of respect for those who went out there to elect him into office in 2016. The very same people who endorsed his presidency did not get what they were expecting yesterday.”
Mogtari’s remarks were aimed at the president’s inability to acknowledge the public’s growing discontent with his administration.
As the country faces pressing issues like a struggling economy, increasing unemployment, and widespread protests, many had hoped that Akufo-Addo’s last address would offer a moment of reflection and an acknowledgment of the challenges the nation is currently grappling with.
“A simple touch of regret, a gesture of humility, could have gone a long way in preserving the image of a man who, at one point, proudly said that his biggest moment must have been to serve Ghanaians as president,” Mogtari continued. She stressed that a sign of humility from the president would have been a fitting acknowledgment of the hard times many Ghanaians are currently facing.
Having been in the political arena for decades, Mogtari expected President Akufo-Addo to show some form of contrition, especially in the final days of his leadership. “Having been in the political space for so long, he was expected to show a touch of humility at last in the final embers of his time in office,” she said.
