Ursula Owusu

Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (born 20 October 1964) is a Ghanaian lawyer, women's rights activist, and a politician who has been actively involved in politics and public service representing Ablekuma West Constituency.[1][2][3] She is currently the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation.[4][5][6]

Hon.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
MP
Member of the Ghana Parliament
for Ablekuma West constituency
Assumed office
7 January 2013
Preceded bynew constituency
Minister for Communications
Assumed office
February 2017
PresidentNana Akufo-Addo
Preceded byEdward Omane Boamah
Personal details
Born (1964-10-20) 20 October 1964
Akim Oda, Ghana
Political partyNew Patriotic Party
SpouseDr. Sam Ekuful
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Ghana
Labone Senior High School
Mfantsiman Girls' Secondary School
OccupationParliamentarian
ProfessionLawyer
CabinetMinister
Websitehttps://ursulaowusu.com.gh/

Early life and education

Ursula hails from Akim Oda in the Eastern Region of Ghana.[3] She attended Labone Senior High School and proceeded to Mfantsiman Girls Secondary School for sixth form education. She continued to the University of Ghana and the Ghana School Of Law, where she obtained an LLB. She was called to the bar in 1990.[7] She obtained a master's degree in Conflict, Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.[7][8][9] She also has a certificate in Government Integrity from the International Law Institute. She also holds a Project Management and Planning Certificate from GIMPA.[10]

Career

She worked for ten years as a lawyer at Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co. law firm before moving into the telecommunication industry to lead a telecom technology company.

Ursula, in her professional career has served on different boards and in different capacities.[11]

  • Managing Consultant with N. U. Consult Legal, Governance and Gender Consultants,
  • Executive Member of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ghana,
  • Former President of FIDA Ghana
  • Former Vice President of the Africa Regional FIDA International.[12]
  • Member of the Ghana Bar Association,
  • Member of the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA)
  • Acting Managing Director of Western Telesystems (Westel) (September 2005 to May 2008) , and
  • Corporate and External Affairs Director, ZAIN Ghana (April 2008 to January 2009).[13]

In May 2023, she took part in the 7th Ghana CEO Summit held in Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra.[14]

Politics

In 2012, she was elected to be the Member of Parliament for the new constituency Ablekuma West Constituency as their first member of parliament.[15]

In 2015, she contested and won the NPP parliamentary primaries in the Ablekuma West Constituency.[16] She retained her parliamentary seat during the 2016 Ghanaian general elections, by winning with 34,376 votes out of the 60,558 valid votes cast making 56.96%.[3][17] She and other female MPs were subject to personal attacks after there was a dispute over places reserved for female members of parliament. She was reported as saying that she was considering her future in politics,[18] but the following year she became the Minister of Communications.[15]

In 2017, she was appointed as the Minister to head the Ministry for Communications by President Akufo-Addo.[19][20] She is currently the Minister for Communications and Digitalization.[21]

in December 2020, she contested for re-election as member of parliament in the 2020 Ghanaian general election as the parliamentary candidate for the NPP. Going into the election as the incumbent Member of Parliament of the Ablekuma West Constituency, she retained her seat after polling 37,363 out of 69,353 votes. Her closest competitor Rev. Kweku Addo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was second with 30,733 votes, whilst the other candidates who contested from the other parties, GUM, LPG and PNC polled 359, 330 and 65, respectively.[22]

Parliamentary Committees

She is currently serving on the following Parliamentary committees:

  1. Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee (7th Parliament)[23]
  2. Appointments Committee (7th Parliament)[23]

Socio-politics

In 2015, she and other women MPs were subject to personal attacks after there was a dispute over places reserved for women members of parliament. She was reported as saying that she was considering her future in politics, but the following year she became the Minister of Communications. Before her current position as the Minister of Communication, she served on different boards and in different capacities in her professional career.[24]

In April 2018 she suffered a backlash from a section of the Ghanaian community when she made headlines for sharing a post on social media that suggested Ghanaian Muslims were intolerant. On Saturday, the 29th day of September 2018, She was installed as the Nkosuohemaa (Development Queen) by the traditional leaders and the people of Akem Asuom in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The instalment took place at the Palace of Asuomhene Osabarima Ofosuhene Apenteng II.[24]

Anti-LGBT+ Bill

In 2021, when the Ghanaian anti-LGBT bill was proposed, she criticised components of the bill as incentives to promote laziness and dishonesty so the bill will have to be revised.[25][26] She also in May 2021, advised LGBT+ individuals in Ghana to keep their activities private as Ghanaians were unable to accept same-sex relations.[27][28]

In July 2023, during the second reading of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 also known as the Ghanaian anti-LGBT bill in parliament, she had a rebuttal with Hon. Murtala Mohammed when he made claims of her being an LGBTQ+ individual. [29][30] [31]During that same delivery, she reiterated the existence of LGBT+ individuals in the Ghanaian community and families. She further went to speak on the need to have laws that protected and respected the rights of every Ghanaian. [32][33]

Personal

Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful born by Christiana Akua Birago Diawo,[34] is married with three children with the UK-based Ghanaian optometrist, Dr Sam Ekuful.[7][35][36][37] She is identified as a Christian.[9]

Honours and awards

On Saturday, 29 September 2018, she was installed as the Nkosuohemaa (Development Queen) by the traditional leaders and the people of Akyem Asuom in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region of Ghana. The ceremony took place at the Palace of Asuomhene Osabarima Ofosuhene Apenteng II.[38][39][40][41]

In February 2019 she was honoured by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in recognition of her work in the protection of the rights of women and children at the 2019 FIDA Africa Regional Congress held in Abuja, Nigeria.[12]

She was awarded the ‘CRANS MONTANA FORUM’ S GOLD MEDAL, in Geneva, Switzerland.[10]

References
  1. "Members of Parliament | Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  2. "I beg for money each month to survive - Ursula Owusu". www.ghanaweb.com. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  3. "Ghana MPs - MP Details - Owusu, Ursula G." www.ghanamps.com. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  4. "Ursula Owusu shares the belief that Muslims are intolerant". Ghananewsonline. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  5. "Government will improve GMet Services - Communications Minister - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  6. "Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine". Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  7. "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful – Communications - Government of Ghana". www.ghana.gov.gh. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  8. "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful – Communications - Government of Ghana". www.ghana.gov.gh. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  9. "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  10. "Minster's Profile – Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation". Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  11. "Ursula Owusu: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  12. "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful Awarded by FIDA | Ministry of Communications". www.moc.gov.gh. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  13. "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful". World Bank Live. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  14. "Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful". Ghana CEO Summit. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  15. "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful – Communications - Government of Ghana". www.ghana.gov.gh. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  16. "Ursula Owusu wins controversial Ablekuma West NPP polls - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  17. "Search". Graphic Online. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  18. Myjoyonline.com. "Ghana News - "Sad" Ursula Owusu to reassess political future". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  19. "2nd batch of ministerial nominees; Ursula, Akoto Osei, Joe Ghartey named". Graphic Online. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  20. Effah, K. (8 February 2017). "Photos: President Akufo-Addo swears in Otiko Djaba, et al as Ministers". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  21. "Ghana Post appeals to President". Graphic Online. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  22. Lamptey, Judith Lamiokor (8 December 2020). "Ursula Owusu retains Ablekuma West seat". Graphic Online. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  23. "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  24. "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Biography". mobile.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  25. "Wording of LGBT Bill may lead to criminalisation of laziness, untruthfulness - Ursula Owusu - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  26. "Anti-gay bill will go through changes – Ursula Owusu Ekuful". GhanaWeb. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  27. "Don't publicise your sexuality - Ursula Owusu-Ekuful tells Ghana LGBT community - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  28. Abedu-Kennedy, Dorcas (29 April 2021). "Ursula Owusu sends message to LGBT community". Adomonline.com. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  29. Tornyi, Emmanuel (6 July 2023). "'He is mad' — Ursula Owusu angrily reacts after being accused as LGBTQ+ practitioner". Pulse Ghana. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  30. "Ursula Owusu is also known for calling others names without evidence - Kofi Adams - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  31. "FLASHBACK: I experimented with lesbianism – Ursula Owusu-Ekuful reveals". GhanaWeb. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  32. "There is a homosexual in every community in Ghana – Ursula Owusu-Ekuful". GhanaWeb. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  33. "It's incumbent on MPs to craft legislation that protects the human rights of all Ghanaians –Ursula Owusu-Ekuful - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  34. "Ursula Owusu Honours Mother's Legacy with Library and Tech Hub (Photos)". GhanaWeb. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  35. Online, Peace FM (14 July 2017). "I Want To Give My Husband A Child - Ursula Owusu-Ekuful". www.peacefmonline.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  36. Zurek, Kweku (1 February 2017). "I would not have been married but for Skype - Ursula Owusu-Ekuful". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  37. theheraldteam (7 November 2014). "Ursula Owusu Make Amends With Neglected Son". The Herald. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  38. Agyeman, Adwoa (30 September 2018). "Ursula Owusu Ekuful now Nkosuohemaa of Akyem Asuom". AdomOnline.com. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  39. Starrfmonline. "Ursula installed devt queenmother at Asuom | Starr Fm". Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  40. Contributor, Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo News (30 September 2018). "Communications Minister Ursula Installed As Queen In Akyem Asuom". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2 March 2019. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  41. "Akyem Asuom installs Ursula Nkosuohemaa". www.ghanaweb.com. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
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