‘I sat up when my child told me she did not ask to be born’ – Former Gender Minister

Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, has intimated that she wised up and took responsibility of her children, when her daughter one time questioned her motherhood.

Speaking at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Ladies Association programme on May 5, 2022 ahead of Mothers Day celebration in Accra, she said the young child “once told me that she did not ask to be born and that made me to sit up and realise that no child has ever asked to be born.”

According to the former Minister who served in the Akufo-Addo administration between 2017 and 2018, many mothers tend to make excuses for their absence, negligence, abandonment or for the rejection of their children which ought not to be.

She admitted that the “greatest thing and yet the hardest to accomplish” is motherhood and that it begins the moment a woman conceives, and likewise the responsibility of taking care of the baby even at the risk of losing her life.

She thus advised that as mothers, women must eschew the negative attitudes and practices because they have adverse effects on the lives of children as they grow and become independent people in society.

“Busy mothers must prioritize and make quality time for your children to instil in them values, integrity, discipline, cleanliness, personal hygiene, important customs and traditions, respect, confidence, teamwork, conflict resolution, sharing and dignity.

“Childhood is so short and children grow up so fast and in the twinkle of an eye they are adults and you ask yourself where the years have flown by.”

“Ladies of GBC, this is your time to stand up and be counted as a good mother. By all means chase your dreams, but not at the expense of your children” she said.