I was an absentee mother – Otiko Djaba on why she rejected ambassador job

In a recent interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme, former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, shared that her political career almost cost her family. She revealed that for 16 years, she was absent from her children and husband's lives due to her demanding schedule, which required her to leave the house by 5 am and return by 2 am.

Despite declining President Nana Akufo-Addo's offer to serve as Ghana's Ambassador to Italy in August 2018, Otiko Djaba announced her retirement from active politics, which was rumored to be a result of her dissatisfaction with being reassigned from the Gender Ministry. However, she clarified that rejecting the offer was the best decision for her family, as her husband was suffering from a stroke at the time, and she needed to be there for her kids.

Otiko Djaba emphasized that there is no bad blood between her and President Akufo-Addo, stating that her decision not to accept the ambassadorial role was a personal one. She also expressed her gratitude to the NPP for the honor they had given her and her unwavering loyalty to her political party.