The Minister for Gender and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has revealed the deep personal toll of her controversial swearing-in incident, describing how public scrutiny shattered her introverted nature and left her emotionally devastated.

In an exclusive interview on JoyNews Personality Profile aired on Friday, May 23, the soft-spoken government official broke her silence about the 2025 incident that made national headlines regarding her late arrival for the swearing-in ceremony.

At the time, Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu explained that officials responsible for organizing the event had been unfair to Dr. Lartey, as she was genuinely out of town due to a family emergency but was compelled to return within an unreasonably short timeframe.

"It did break me," Lartey confessed, her voice unsteady. "I've always been an introvert, not one to crave the spotlight. I'm also very sensitive, not the type to intentionally seek unnecessary attention. If I said it didn't affect me, I'd be lying. I was worried, very worried, especially about people who knew me."

The emotional scars remain visible as she recounts the aftermath: "I kept asking myself what I could have done to prevent the situation."

When pressed about whether she had explained herself to authorities, Dr. Lartey became reticent: "I don't like too many excuses. If you couldn't do it, you couldn't do it. The more you explain, the murkier it gets."

She expressed profound gratitude to the government spokesperson who defended her at the time and to the President for his leniency.

"Let me use this platform to say a big thank you to His Excellency. There were so many decisions he could have taken, but he gave me another chance."