How Joyce Bawah Mogtari rejected Mills’ NLA top job for UN scholarship

Bawah Mogtari says she picked education over political appointment and does not regret making that decision

She says late President Mills offered her the NLA job but she had to turn it down to further her education

Bawah Mogtari also revealed she became an aide to John Dramani Mahama

Joyce Bawah Mogtari, an aide to former President John Dramani Mahama has recounted the story of how she rejected a political appointment to pursue studies.

Bawah Mogtari narrated that she was once offered the role as Chief Executive Officer of the National Lottery Authority under the John Evans Atta Mills administration.

In between the time of her appointment and swearing-in, she received a United Nation’s scholarship to further her study outside the country.

Bawah Mogtari says the development left her in a fix as she had to ponder over which one to pick. She eventually backed out of the appointment and pursued studies in Maritime Law which she says remains one of the best decisions she made in life.

“Professor Mills invited me to serve as the CEO of the National Lottery Authority at the time. A few months later, I got a UN scholarship to go back to school. It was a huge scholarship and privilege that so many women had applied and had been selected in Ghana to take advantage.

“It was a choice between an opportunity to serve as CEO and to go to school. It was a path I feel God wanted to take me. I remember going to Dr Duffuor’s office and asking to be sworn in but whiles sitting there my mind kept asking if I was sure. I sat there for a few hours and Dr Duffuor appeared. I said that Doc, I just got a scholarship and I need to go back to school so you should find someone else.

“I think that decision that I made opened even more doors than I imagined. I became the best student in Maritime Law. People started calling me from other parts of the world,” she said.

Bawah Mogtari also revealed how she became a special aide to John Dramani Mahama.

“I still remember the day the call came from my classmate Raymond Atuguba that President Mahama wanted to talk to me. I was on contract in fair Pointe Noire,” she said. She spoke on ‘Strong and Sassy’ show that aired on Joy News channels on August 18, 2021.