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Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Otiko Afisa Djaba has admonished Ghanaians to stop the verbal attacks on her over her hairstyle because it “does not affect the price of kenkey”.

For her, Ghanaians should focus on the things that affect the lives of citizens because focusing on her appearance will not eradicate poverty and the myriad other challenges that confront the populace.

A section of the public has raised concerns about her hairstyle which is normally shaved on the left side of her head with the right side fixed with weave-on. Some people hold the view that her unconventional look is at odds with Ghanaian culture and does not teach young girls to be modest in appearance.

But Ms Djaba expressed a different view, pointing out that “it is a winning hairstyle and encourages young people [to be confident]”.

She maintained: “My hairstyle is not crazy; it is very African…the students call me the swagger mama, they enjoy me because I’m young at heart and when I hit the campuses they are happy because of my hairstyle, because it is a winning hairstyle.”

According to her, the cries concerning her hairstyle “is the propaganda of my opponents, they want to turn a good thing [to bad], they wish they could have it, they wish their wives could have my hairstyle”.

She argued that she was very confident about her looks because it suited her and would not change it because others dislike it.

“The day I want to change my hairstyle, it will be my decision and not because of what somebody says… The first lady used to have rasta. Sometime back people used to say that look was not good and not correct, but a lot of women say it is a natural look,” she stated.

She said her look rather “depicts modern Ghanaian women”.

Ms Djaba made these comments in an interview with Joy News.

The staunch member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not new to controversy as she indicated in the past that former president John Mahama was “wicked” and possessed an “evil heart”. She explained that the failure of Mr Mahama to ensure the success of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) project made him an evil man.

She had also suggested an investigation against the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, whom the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, Ken Agyapong, made certain comments to the effect that she might have exchanged sex for her role, an allegation the MP later said was only a joke.