Presidential Staffer Nana Yaa Akyenpim Jantuah has disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama personally directed her to receive the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) petition during its "Democracy Under Attack" demonstration because the Chief of Staff and other senior government officials were attending the national memorial for the victims of the August 6 helicopter crash.

Speaking on Asempa FM's Ekosiisen on Thursday, August 6, Nana Yaa Jantuah dismissed suggestions that she was not senior enough to receive the petition on behalf of the Presidency.

According to her, the President made the decision after it became clear that key government officials would be unavailable.

"The President, when we went for the commemoration event, told the Chief of Staff that he wanted someone who is a senior official to go and receive the petition because he was definitely out and the Chief of Staff could not receive it. All the deputies, everyone, was at the funeral."

She said President Mahama subsequently instructed that she receive the petition on his behalf.

"Then the President said Nana Yaa can go and receive it."

Nana Yaa Jantuah explained that she had initially been informed the NPP delegation would arrive at the Jubilee House at about 11:00 a.m., but the group arrived much later.

"When I had a call, they told me they would be at the Jubilee House around 11 a.m., but they arrived around 12:30. They finally came around 1."

She said she had expected a cordial interaction when she stepped out to receive the delegation.

"When I was going to meet them, I thought I was going to meet my friends. Nana B was present; Justin Kodua was also there."

However, she said she immediately noticed resistance from some members of the delegation, who objected to her receiving the petition.

"When I watched from afar, I could see them protesting that they couldn't present the petition to me."

Despite the objections, Nana Yaa Jantuah said she deliberately chose not to respond because she was representing the President.

"I saw the reactions but, for the first time, I kept quiet, and everybody thought I should react. I didn't open my mouth because I was standing there in the stead of the President of the Republic of Ghana, so I couldn't do anything contrary to what was in my mind."

Her comments come after the NPP criticised the Presidency for assigning her, rather than what it described as a more senior government official, to receive the party's petition at the Jubilee House.