Nana Oye Lithur...She Who Must Be Obeyed

There is uneasy calm among the staff and workers at the Ministry of Children, Gender and Social Protection over what some workers describe as the She Who Must Be Obeyed attitude of sector minister Nana Oye Lithur towards the workers. The Minister�s high and mighty character, according to some staff who spoke to the Publisher newspaper can only be whispered into ears. A staff who pleaded anonymity said the sector minister's personal relationship with her workers could best be described as that of a slave and master one. According to him, the concerns of the Minister's attitude to his workers from the security to the Directors has become a major worry to the entire workers and it is feared if the Minister does not change for the better, very little would be achieved. "A lot of us were excited when she was nominated because of her record as human right activist but now wished a new person wil be appointed. Can you believe this ministry for reasons known only to the Minister and her deputies did not issue any statement to mark events such as father's day, Child labour day, African Child day, as well as International women�s day,"? the source lamented. Enquiry on why the Ministry failed to mark this year�s International Women�s Day proved futile as nobody was ready to speak because they did not have �Madam�s permission. Oye Lithr would not pick her calls or respond to text messages sent to her by the Publisher paper. Neither the Directors at the Ministry nor her two deputies would speak on the issues. The Ministry was set up to promote and protect the welfare of women and children by Kufuor�s government but the leadership style of the current Minister is not helping towards the attainment of that goal. Anytime she travels outside the country or out of the office, everyone feels relieved - the appearance of her official vehicle brings fear and panic. More to follow.