Nadia Ntiamoah
The appointment of Clara Bawah Arthur, a Digital Financial Services professional and former General Manager for Business Development at the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GHIPSS), as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, has reignited the long-running political debate over so-called “friends and family” appointments.
While Bawah Arthur’s professional qualifications and experience in the financial technology sector are undisputed, her family ties to Joyce Bawah Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Aide and one of President John Mahama’s most trusted advisors, have become the focal point of political conversation.
Clara Arthur is Joyce Bawah Mogtari’s biological sister, and critics are highlighting the apparent irony in the appointment, given the history of the “friends and family” discourse in Ghanaian politics.
Joyce Bawah is also a cousin of President John Mahama, meaning that the new appointee also has familial relationship with the president.
Background to the Controversy
The phrase “friends and family” gained prominence during the Mahama-led opposition years, when political figures — notably Joyce Bawah Mogtari herself — regularly accused the Akufo-Addo administration of appointing relatives and close associates to top government positions, regardless of competence.
She was a vocal critic, making frequent media appearances on radio, television, and political platforms to denounce the practice, arguing it undermined fairness in governance.
During that period, individuals with surnames like “Akufo” or “Ofori-Atta” were quickly associated with the President’s inner circle, sparking public debates about nepotism.
Joyce Bawah and other opposition voices then presented such appointments as proof of a government rewarding loyalty over merit.
Now in Government, Allegations Return
With the National Democratic Congress (NDC) now back in power under President Mahama, the political tables appear to have turned.
Critics point out that Joyce Bawah Mogtari’s family now occupies multiple influential positions in state institutions:
Clara B. Arthur, newly appointed CEO of GHIPSS.
John Bawa, another sibling, serving as Managing Director of the State Housing Company.
Hudu Mogtari, Joyce’s husband, acting as Chairman of the governing board of the Ghana Standards Authority.
For some political commentators, this represents a clear case of benefiting from the very system Mogtari once condemned.
They argue that while the appointees may be qualified, the optics and precedent echo the same “friends and family” pattern she once decried.
Defenders of the appointments insist that Clara Bawah Arthur’s track record in the financial services industry makes her an ideal choice for GHIPSS, a critical institution in Ghana’s digital payment infrastructure.
They contend that her family ties should not overshadow her competence, and that Ghana’s political culture must move past personal associations to focus on qualifications.
Still, the appointments have stirred political chatter, particularly among those who recall Mogtari’s earlier statements.
In a 2022 tweet, she warned against “the dangers of having so many family and friends in one government,” noting that such a system fosters “a sense of entitlement.” That comment, critics say, now stands in sharp contrast to the current political reality.
