Presidential staffer Nana Yaa Akyenpim Jantuah has accused the opposition New Patriotic Party of demanding respect from others while refusing to extend the same courtesy, particularly to women in leadership positions.
The accusation follows criticism from the Minority caucus over the Presidency’s decision to assign Jantuah to receive the NPP’s petition after the party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration at Jubilee House on Thursday, August 6.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen programme, Jantuah explained that President John Mahama instructed her to receive the petition on his behalf after he and other senior government officials attended a commemoration ceremony for victims of the August 6 helicopter crash. She said the President made the decision after being informed that the Chief of Staff and other senior officials were unavailable.
Jantuah described her surprise at the reaction of NPP leadership upon her arrival at Jubilee House. “When I was going to meet them, I thought I was going to meet my friends. Nana B was present, Justin Kodua was also there. When I watched from afar, I could see them protesting that they couldn’t present the petition to me,” she said.
Despite witnessing the objections, Jantuah said she deliberately chose not to respond because she was representing the President. “I saw the reactions but for the first time, I kept quiet and everybody thought I should react. I didn’t open my mouth because I was standing there in the stead of the President of the Republic of Ghana,” she stated.
She argued that the NPP’s conduct demonstrated a fundamental lack of respect, particularly toward women. “NPP wants respect, but they do not know how to give respect, especially to women,” Jantuah said.
The presidential staffer further claimed that no member of the opposition challenged the Minority Leader’s remarks at the time, suggesting their silence indicated approval. She also questioned the authenticity of the petition presented to the Presidency, alleging it bore no signatures. “Even the petition they claimed was signed, there was no signature on it. But I took it and didn’t want to say anything,” she said.
Jantuah maintained that despite the criticism directed at her, she remained focused on carrying out the assignment entrusted to her by the President. The incident has highlighted ongoing tensions between the governing administration and the opposition regarding parliamentary decorum and respect for state institutions.