My age didn’t permit me to do National Service - Otiko

The minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba has explained that her inability to do her national service was due to her 40-years old after completion of her tertiary education at the University of Development Studies (UDS), Wa Campus, in 2009.

According to her, she was reliably informed that graduates at the age of 40-years were exempted from doing their national service.

Madam Otiko whose approval is in the balance for exhibiting ‘insolence’ during her vetting  and her failure to do her national service in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Appointment’s Committee, Joe Osei-Owusu, said “I did not undertake National Service upon completion of a course of study at the University of Development Studies (UDS), Wa Campus, in 2009, because I was informed that persons who were over forty (40) years of age were exempt from national service.

I completed UDS in 2009 at the age of 47, and consequently, was under the impression that I was exempted from national service.”

She seems to contradicts herself because she has earlier told the committee that she did not do her national service because she was out of the country.

She is likely to be approved by the majority in Parliament today with or without approval from the minority.