Former minister for gender, children, and social protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba has recounted the struggles of her early life growing up as a child.
During an interview with Stacey Amoateng on Restoration, the politician disclosed that her father who was one of the richest men in their community Late Henry Kojo Djaba has ten wives during his early ages before his death.
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Otiko Djaba disclosed that life was rosy growing up as a child but started facing trialing and struggles after the death of her rich father in the 70s following a coup in the country. She also disclosed that her father was a polygamist and married ten (10) wives and had 22 children.
I grew up with a mother who was a teacher and my father was a polygamist. He had 22 children and 10 wives. I lived with my mother in the north but he was always sending for us to come and be with him,” the product of Tamale Secondary School said.
“I schooled in Tamale and because my father had to live in exile, I had to go and live with him in England. It was the beginning of the definition of who I am because my father was very rich and then with the coup, he was no longer able to get his monies coming in from Ghana so we became debt poor,”
Otiko Djaba added, stressing that “that is what defines me because it made me understand poverty and how to overcome challenges – from being driven to school in limousines, now you have to take the bus and even to get a bus pass, I had to work as a waitress, cinema usher, cleaner”.
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“It happened so fast,” she said. “You’ll be in school and you’d be called to go home because dad couldn’t pay our fees. It was that bad. The light would go off because we could no longer pay the bills. So, he had a stroke with all the stress and he lived with stroke for 30 years. He became impoverished,” she added.
Source: ghgossip.com
