Family of New Patriotic Party (NPP)National Chairman, Stephen Ntim, have requested for him to be excused from official duties and active politics until further notice on health grounds.

In a letter to the party, the family of Mr.Ntim expressed his lifetime commitment and dedication to NPP for decades, rising through the ranks from 1st National Deputy Chairman to his distinguished service as the current National Chairman.

“At this juncture, we the family members of Mr. Stephen Ntim have learned that the party has convened a meeting scheduled to be chaired by Mr. Ntim and wewould like our beloved son, brother, nephew and relative, Stephen Ntim, to be excused from attendance of this event, due to recent developments on his health and well being beginning from June 16, 2025,” they added .

The family further revealed that Mr. Ntim is not well at the moment
and his condition requires time off from active professional activities in the interest of medical attention and monitoring for the time being.

According to the family, “in compliance with his professional medical advice and in cognizanced
of his demanding office, we the family members do hereby request that Mr. Ntim be temporarily excused, not only from active office duty, but also from outright party politics until further notice.”

“As with any human, even merely participating in such event will not augur well for Steve due to his current cognitive dissonance and mental incapacitation for such
a high profile event at a time like this, not to even factor in chairing it and we the family members reject this wrong move in the subtly back drop of his personal human rights,” they disclosed.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

Read full statement below

A delegation from SEND Ghana visited the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to discuss collaboration on gender equality, social protection, and economic empowerment.

SEND Ghana, known for its policy advocacy and equitable development efforts, works closely with farmers and empowers young women aged 18–35 through Mastercard Foundation-supported projects focused on livelihood and agricultural support.

The Minister welcomed SEND Ghana’s initiatives and highlighted the Ministry’s alignment with their priorities.

She reaffirmed that social protection is a top priority under President John Mahama’s government and emphasized ongoing efforts to expand coverage and enhance service delivery through flagship programmes like Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), which remains vital for vulnerable households.

Regarding the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), the Minister noted plans to introduce legislation to ensure its sustainability and improve the nutritional quality of school meals.

She praised civil society’s role in monitoring local implementation.

The Minister also voiced strong support for menstrual hygiene and reproductive health campaigns, stressing education and access to sanitary products for adolescent girls, and encouraged efforts to break menstrual taboos and keep girls in school.

Broader gender issues discussed included reducing unpaid care work, promoting gender-sensitive leave policies (maternity and paternity leave), and boosting women’s economic opportunities.

Both parties agreed on the need to build gender-responsive systems that empower women socially and economically.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to work together for inclusive development, gender equity, and stronger social protection systems in Ghana.