I did what a mother had to do – Adwoa Safo justifies long absence to constituents

The Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo has explained her long absence from parliament to traders and market women within the Dome market enclave.

According to the MP who courted public criticism for abandoning her post for over a year, she had to do what a woman had to do when she faced a barrage of challenges involving even her children.

“I’ve already met a lot of you at home and explained why you didn’t hear from me for over a year and a half. I know that being my mothers, sisters and aunties; you understand certain things.

"As women there are times you need to go through what women go through or do what women do. What really accounted for my absence, I know it is slanted but not broken.

"Along the line, my first male child suffered a certain illness and I had to leave, which in my thinking was supposed to be for a short time to go and fix my home. But the devil who had other plans against God’s work, did not allow things to go that way,” she explained.

Background

At the height of heavy tussle in Ghana’s currently hung parliament, Adwoa Safo who was then a Minister for Children, Gender and Social Protection was absent from her post, creating a shortage of a single vote for the ruling party in pushing through government businesses in the house.

She was along the line accused of sabotaging her own party while fervent calls were made for her dismissal from the house and as a member of the executive arm of government.

However her absence has been attributed to a series of distressing events, including threats from the US government to take custody of her two children.

Seth Kofi Osei Kissi, the spokesperson for Adwoa Safo, disclosed these details in an interview with Kwabena Mensah Abrompah on Radio Universe on September 20, 2023.

According to Kissi, one of the reasons for Adwoa Safo's absence was a threat she received regarding the potential loss of custody of her children.

He further revealed that another event contributing to Adwoa Safo's absence was the loss of her newborn baby shortly after childbirth.

Adwoa Safo, the aide narrated went to the US and was confronted with the threat that "if she doesn’t take care, her children will be taken away from her, the children are two; one male and one female and it is the male who had that problem (medical condition).

"You see, the white culture and ours are two separate things, they have a way of taking care of children, ladies, and animals, but when you come here, it is different, so the whites were serious about that.

“The issue overpowered her, she thought it was something minor but when she went and realized the severe nature of it, and how her child had been going to the hospital to-and-fro, her own father and her family even lost communication with her.

"The issue took over her life to the extent that she didn’t know what to do because going to give birth and losing your child and your other one is also having a problem but God was able to intervene on her behalf, so, it is all about pleading with everybody for forgiveness.”

Meanwhile, the MP who has since returned to the country and assumed her role in parliament albeit losing her ministerial position, has announced another parliamentary bid.

She has since apologised to members of her constituency and her party for her absence and is currently engaging in a stakeholder consultation ahead of the NPP’s parliamentary primaries.

The Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has paid a visit to Dome Market and engaged with the traders.#UTVNews pic.twitter.com/9WU8bYsO54

— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) October 25, 2023