I still don't know why I was sacked - Gifty Klenam speaks out

Former Member of Parliament for Lower West Akim on the ticket of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gifty Klenam, has broken her silence on her dismissal from office, stating that she remains uncertain about the reason behind her removal.

Klenam, who once led the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), emphasised that her focus had always been on boosting exports through product development, in an interview on Joy Prime monitored by MyNewsGh.

“I would be very happy if you could find out from President Akufo-Addo why he sacked me. Honestly, I don’t know to this day why he did what he did,” she said.

She explained that exportation is not as simple as just picking a product and sending it abroad; it requires proper development.

“You cannot just get up and say that you want to export clothes. You have to develop the product first,” Klenam stated.

“By developing the product, you are creating jobs. That is how jobs are created.”

Drawing an analogy, she added, “The person who created your laptop didn’t just wake up and produce it. It was developed, and through that process, jobs were created.”

Klenam, who recently defected to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), recounted her contributions to Ghana’s export sector, highlighting efforts to revive pineapple exports, promote cashew cultivation, and improve agricultural productivity.

“When I was at GEPA, I prioritized cashew as one of the key products. Within a year, I distributed thousands of cashew seedlings and sprayed existing trees to increase yield,” she said.

“For yams, I worked on mass production in the Volta Region, and for pineapples, we revived the smooth cayenne variety, which had almost disappeared from the market.”

Despite these efforts, she believes her dismissal was politically motivated.

“I think it was mainly politics,” she admitted. “But I’ve taken it easy and moved on.”

When asked whether she was unhappy with the NPP, Klenam dismissed the notion.

“I don’t know why you think I’m not happy. I’m very happy. In fact, after my recent announcement, I have received several messages from people in the NPP congratulating me,” she revealed. “Some of them least expected this, but they’ve called to wish me well because they know I have something to offer Ghana.”

However, she also acknowledged facing threats.

“I have had others threatening my life, but that’s all part of politics. I just have to be careful,” she said.