Information Minister congratulates Mahama and Jane Naana

Information Minister, Fatimatu Abubakar, says she expects the Vice President-elect who happens to be first female vice president of Ghana, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang to carry a lot of people along in her new role.

Congratulating her and the President-elect, John Mahama, on their election, she entreated Professor Opoku Agyemang to let her office reflect a positive change for the girl child.

‘‘I congratulate the President-elect and the Vice President-elect, and personally congratulate her on the milestone and what it means to have her as a vice president, but I also remind her of a bigger responsibility to be the strongest advocate for women in politics, and also women’s causes.  Causes like free SHS, where girls who would have been left behind in a lot of households because there is no money.

And in my house, I know that my brothers would have been chosen, of course, if it had to come to paying, and the money was not there. So, I believe the biggest advocacy is to remember the record of what free SHS has brought before,” she urged.

According to her, “Free SHS, out of every 100 boys in Senior High School, there were 64 girls today. In 2024, out of every 100 boys in senior high schools, there are 106 girls. it will tell you that when the financial barrier was removed, people like Fati, got to go to school. So, they should get more opportunities for girls and get strong advocacy and stronger representation for women.’’

She was speaking during a media engagement at the Information Ministry on December 19.

Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang emerged as Ghana’s first female vice president during the last general elections bringing hope and pride to the girl child.

The 73-year-old educationist’s feat has placed Ghana among a growing number of African nations advancing gender equality in leadership.

But her win has brought to the front, a lot of expectations which many wonder if she could achieve before her tenure elapses. For the Information Minister, irrespective of what position a woman occupies, she must make a remarkable impact on her gender.

‘‘Whether a deputy minister, Member of Parliament, Assembly Woman, to carry a lot of people along, that is what matters; to reach out make sure your office reflects a positive change for your gender or is representing affirmative action in a way.

No matter how efficient I am as an Information Minister, if I walk out of here and I did not do anything positive for female journalists, and there is no record of my advocacy in the media space to increase women’s voices, I deem that as a failure on its own. If I did not inspire anybody, I will be so disappointed that I will not be able to raise my head, so it’s a wonderful opportunity, ’’ she said.

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