Acting Spokesperson to the President, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has clarified the circumstances surrounding the delayed arrival of Gender Minister-designate Agnes Naa Momo Lartey at the swearing-in ceremony on Friday, January 25. The delay has sparked reactions from various Ghanaians since the event.
In an interview on Accra-based TV3, Mr. Ofosu Kwakye explained that Naa Momo Lartey’s late arrival was due to an unexpected family emergency, compounded by logistical challenges related to the Jubilee House schedule.
“The situation was caused by the President’s intense schedule. On the morning of the event, President Mahama was preparing to travel to Angola, Tanzania, and Kenya for government-related matters, and the previous day had been packed with engagements,” the spokesperson stated. “We had a trip to Ho, and President Mahama had been scheduled to attend the SWAG Awards event, which required last-minute adjustments, including asking the Vice President to stand in for him.”
The swearing-in ceremony had been planned for six ministerial appointees whose nominations had been approved by Parliament.
However, ongoing parliamentary deliberations caused last-minute changes to the schedule.
“We were liaising with Parliament to see if they could complete the approval process for other nominees, so they could be sworn in as well. By 4 pm, as we were on our way to Accra from Ho, it became clear that Parliament would not meet the deadline to approve the others. A decision had to be made at that point,” Mr. Ofosu Kwakye explained.
Efforts were made to contact the six approved nominees, and five of them were nearby and could easily make it to the Jubilee House. However, Naa Momo Lartey was away from Accra due to the family emergency.
“Naa Momo Lartey explained that a family emergency had taken her out of Accra, so her arrival would be tight. We encouraged her to come if possible, and if she arrived in time, she would be included. If not, we assured her it would be arranged for another day,” he said.
The spokesperson also addressed the public criticism regarding the delay, noting that the situation was beyond Naa Momo Lartey’s control.
“It wasn’t that she was deliberately late,” he stated. “If the public had known about the situation, their criticism might have been more tempered. She made a strong effort to attend and was only a few minutes late. It was not her fault.”
Felix Ofosu Kwakye assured that Naa Momo Lartey would be sworn in next week upon President Mahama’s return, dismissing any suggestion of blame on her part.
“In fact, she could have chosen not to attend at all. But out of respect for the President, she made every effort. She arrived just two minutes after the President had started the ceremony. We had prepared for the possibility of her absence and were ready with alternative speeches,” he explained.
Among the ministers sworn in at the ceremony were Asawase legislator Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, who was confirmed as Interior Minister, just hours before the deliberations in Parliament.
Additionally, nominees for ministerial positions in the Northern, Oti, Volta, and Eastern regions received parliamentary approval. The new regional ministers are Ali Adolf John, John Kwadwo Gyapong, James Gunu, and Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey.
