President John Dramani Mahama has told Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang about the void created by her absence for over a month.
The Vice President fell ill on March 28 and had to be flown abroad for medical treatment.
She returned home from London United Kingdom on May 22 and was welcomed at the Kotoka International Airport by a host of government officials and family members.
Welcoming her, President Mahama said her absence nearly cost him his job.
“…your colleagues we’re very happy to have you back. I particularly have missed you, because even traveling out of the country has been difficult. They’ve threatened to impeach me for going to Togo when you were away. So, you are warmly welcome,” he said.
“On behalf of the people of Ghana, we wish to warmly welcome our beloved Vice President. It has been a trying time for everybody, and a lot of prayers were said for your safe return, and so today is a special day that you have stepped back in the country, on the land of Ghana, looking younger, looking cheerful, and we thank God for his mercies,” the President said.
He added that, “Since you left, your colleagues, we’ve all missed you. We held a 120-day social contract program, and everybody said you should have been there. But with all the work you did before you went, we continued, and I think that we were able to present to the people of Ghana a significant percentage of the things that we had promised. But in all this, you were missed. Ghana is safe, things seem to be on the right track, and you’ve come at the right time to come and continue the work that you so beautifully started.
He commended the staff of the staff of the Ghana High Commission in UK for taking good care of Prof Opoku-Agyemang while she was in London.
“We are grateful to all the staff outside there who looked after you, our embassy staff in London. I came there myself, and you told me how courteous they had been and how they had been of help,” President Mahama stated.
He noted that the Vice President’s illness offers an opportunity to relook at the capacities of medical facilities in the country.
“…I think in all this, it raises the issues of us improving our health care so that we can handle emergencies like this. We built a critical hospital, which is the UGMC, but it’s still not at the stage where it can handle some of these cases.
And so it’s a call to duty that we should implement it the way Professor Mills had intended it to be, so that in the future, emergencies like this can be handled without us having to fly out,” he said.
The President urged Prof Opoku Agyemang to take it easy.
“…we’re happy to have you. The doctors say you are 20 years younger, and that you are okay and fit for the job. But we’ll ask that you take it easy for a little while, and after that, we’ll see how things go. So, thank you very much on behalf of all our colleagues, on behalf of all Ghanaians. I’m sure today Ghanaians will be very happy. I want to say thanks to God,” the President said.
For her part, the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang expressed joy over her successful return to the country after seeking treatment in the UK.
“His mercies have been infinite, as always, and I’m very grateful. I express gratitude to the medical staff, too, for seeing the right thing, for making the right proposals. So I’m very happy to be back, and there’s so much that has happened that we all need to do. And I know that with our collective will, we’ll do much more for our country,” she said.
Prof Opoku-Agyemang thanked President Mahama for the support shown her during the trying times.
“And to my boss. That day, I don’t know where you appeared from, but he came and quickly set in motion what we needed to do. And I also want to thank all of you, your prayers, for your good wishes. I can’t be thankful enough,” she stated.
The Vice President singled out President Mahama’s brother, Ibrahim Mahama for praise.
“I’m very grateful. But I need to isolate, beyond family and friends, your brother, Mr. Ibrahim. He stopped at nothing to ensure that I had what I needed. And then he also came to the hospital. He came to sit by me, and that was healing by itself. So, my little boss, I’m very, very grateful,” she said.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s health became a public concern after she reportedly fell ill on Friday, March 28, 2025. She was admitted to the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) the following day for medical attention.
In a statement issued by the Office of the President on Sunday, March 30, it was confirmed that the Vice President had received the necessary treatment and will seek further treatment abroad.
Her arrival signifies recovery and an end to her medical leave. She is expected to commence official work shortly.
Also at the airport were the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church and family members of the Vice President.
In her brief remarks, the Vice President thanked Ghanaians for their prayers, sent her appreciation to her doctors and the medic staff at the UGMC, and celebrated President Mahama and his younger brother, Ibrahim, for their support, thoughtfulness and care.
President John Dramani Mahama at his Thank You Tour in Dodowa last Friday May 16 shared that the Vice President has recovered fully. The President also expressed relief.
“I’m happy to state that I spoke to her yesterday morning, and she will be back in the country before the end of next week. By God’s grace, she is fully recovered, and she’s going to come and go back to her duties,” he announced.
The Vice-President’s health drew public speculations about her passing but government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu debunked the claim and affirmed that the Vice President was in good health.
