The recent swearing-in ceremony of Naa Momo Lartey as the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection at Jubilee House stirred controversy when the newly appointed minister arrived late.

Public scrutiny followed, with many questioning her commitment and punctuality. However, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State-designate for Government Communications, has come forward to clarify the situation and shed light on the circumstances surrounding Lartey’s delayed arrival.

In an exclusive interview on TV3, Ofosu explained that while the public’s demand for excellence is completely justified, the situation was far from what it seemed. “I have seen that she’s come under criticism. It is justifiably right.

“I understand the demand for excellence and a better way of doing things by the people of Ghana. They can demand no less from all of us. We serve at the pleasure of the Ghanaian public so they have the right to have a certain expectation of delivery from us,” he said, acknowledging the valid expectations placed on public figures.

However, Ofosu emphasized that the criticism of Lartey was based on incomplete information.

“I must indicate that because people were not aware of the background story, the Gender Minister was treated unfairly in some ways,” he explained. The situation stemmed from logistical challenges, including the inability of Parliament to meet its deadline for approving other ministers.

According to Ofosu, a decision was made to invite the six ministers who had been initially approved and were available to attend. “We reached out to the six who had initially been approved and indicated that if they were close, they should come.

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“Five of them said they were within the precincts of Parliament and would come to the Flagstaff House in about 10 minutes,” he said.

“But Naa Momo Lartey was in a unique situation. “Naa Momo truthfully indicated that a family emergency had taken her out of Accra, and therefore it was going to be very close,” Ofosu noted.

Despite the tight timing, Lartey made an effort to attend. Ofosu explained, “We encouraged her to come nonetheless, and if she got there in time, she would be added. If for some reason, she could not make it in time, we would do it another time.”

The decision was made in good faith, and it was hoped that she would arrive in time. “So if you observe carefully, President Mahama was very specific in mentioning the names and giving them KPIs,” Ofosu added, suggesting that the arrangement had been well-managed and that public criticism could have been mitigated had the full story been understood.

Ofosu further defended Lartey’s commitment, saying, “It’s not that she was late. I know her very well. I can vouch for her.” He reiterated that the public sentiment, driven by incomplete information, could have been tempered had people known the full context of the situation.

In fact, Ofosu pointed out that Lartey could have chosen not to attend at all, given the family emergency that took her out of Accra. However, out of respect for President Mahama, she made an effort to be there. “She really pushed it close. But it was not her fault,” he concluded.

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