Wanja Nyarari Pays Special Appreciation to Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama for Fatherly Compassion
By Irene
Wanja Nyarari has shared a deeply moving tribute recounting an extraordinary act of compassion by Ghana’s President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, describing him not only as a leader but as a father who stepped into her life at its most painful moment.
Speaking about her time on duty during former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure, Wanja recalled a morning that would forever change her life. As she reported to work, President Mahama noticed her red, tear-filled eyes and gently asked what was troubling her.
According to Wanja, she explained that her “Iron Lady,” her elder sister who was like mother her was critically ill and dependent on an oxygen machine. Moved by concern, President Mahama did not hesitate. He expressed a desire to meet her mother in person.
“We went together to visit my Iron Lady in the ghetto,” Wanja said. “He climbed all the way to the rooftop where she sat in the sunshine, getting her daily dose of vitamin D. A leader. A father. A President.”said Wanja Nyarari
During the visit, President Mahama asked how Wanja and her family had ended up living in NIMA, an area he observed resembled slum settlements in Ghana. As she narrated her life story, the President listened attentively before opening his arms and speaking words she says she will never forget.
“From today, you are my daughter,” he told her. He introduced his son, Sharaf Mahama, as her brother and promised that when she visited Ghana, she would be welcomed by his wife and other children." Said Ghana president
“You will never be left alone. Your children will be my grandchildren,” he assured her.
When he later asked about Wanja’s date of birth and learned she was born on a Friday, President Mahama gave her a new name—Efia Mahama—a symbolic gesture that sealed a bond beyond protocol and politics.
Wanja describes this moment as the day God filled a gap in her life with a father in authority.
In a recent season of mourning, that bond proved enduring. President Mahama sent someone from Ghana to Nairobi to personally convey his condolences, prayers, and support—both emotional and financial.
He delegated Rev. Fr. Dr. Tony Amissah, a psychology lecturer and Dean of Students at Tangaza University, whose presence brought comfort, healing, and spiritual strength to the grieving family.
“This is how you know you are valued,” Wanja noted, “when those you serve honour your efforts and truly mourn with you.”
She expressed special appreciation to President Mahama, whom she fondly calls “Daddy,” recalling how he consistently checked on her mother’s condition and even explored the possibility of arranging medical treatment in Germany—an offer her Iron Lady ultimately declined.
As she concluded her appreciation, Wanja reflected on faith, noting that God never allows a vacuum. Even in moments of calamity, she said, He places destiny helpers along one’s path—people who do not take advantage of vulnerability but walk alongside others to fulfil God’s purpose.
Wanja Nyarari’s appreciation stands as a powerful testament to leadership defined not by titles, but by compassion, humanity, and enduring love beyond borders.
