Jump to content

Ursula Owusu: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Added new information to socio-politics
m Typo/grammar
Tags: Visual edit Mobile edit Mobile web edit
Line 53: Line 53:
| signature_alt =
| signature_alt =
}}
}}
'''Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful''' (born 20 October 1964) and hails from [[Akim Oda]] in the [[Eastern Region (Ghana)|Eastern Region]] of [[Ghana]] is a lawyer, women's rights activist and a [[Ghanaian]] parliamentarian representing [[Ablekuma West (Ghana parliament constituency)|Ablekuma West constituency]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Members of Parliament {{!}} Parliament of Ghana|url = http://www.parliament.gh/parliamentarians/397|website = www.parliament.gh|access-date = 2015-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = I beg for money each month to survive - Ursula Owusu|url = http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/I-beg-for-money-each-month-to-survive-Ursula-Owusu-363127|website = www.ghanaweb.com|date= 2015-06-18|access-date = 2015-08-01}}</ref><ref name="Ghanamps">{{Cite web|title=Ghana MPs - MP Details - Owusu, Ursula G.|url=http://www.ghanamps.com/mps/details.php?id=5451|access-date=2019-03-09|website=www.ghanamps.com}}</ref> She is currently the [[Minister for Communications (Ghana)|Minister of Communications and Digitalisation]].<ref name="Ghananewsonline">{{Cite news|url=http://ghananewsonline.com.gh/ursula-owusu-shares-the-belief-that-muslims-are-intolerant/|title=Ursula Owusu shares the belief that Muslims are intolerant|date=2018-04-16|work=Ghananewsonline|access-date=2018-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Government will improve GMet Services - Communications Minister - MyJoyOnline.com|url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/government-will-improve-gmet-services-communications-minister/|access-date=2021-05-19|website=www.myjoyonline.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine |url=https://www.glitzafrica.com/glitz-top-100-inspirational-women/100/ |access-date=2022-05-28 |language=en-US}}</ref>
'''Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful''' (born 20 October 1964) hails from [[Akim Oda]] in the [[Eastern Region (Ghana)|Eastern Region]] of [[Ghana]]. She is a lawyer, women's rights activist and a [[Ghanaian]] parliamentarian representing [[Ablekuma West (Ghana parliament constituency)|Ablekuma West constituency]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Members of Parliament {{!}} Parliament of Ghana|url = http://www.parliament.gh/parliamentarians/397|website = www.parliament.gh|access-date = 2015-08-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = I beg for money each month to survive - Ursula Owusu|url = http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/I-beg-for-money-each-month-to-survive-Ursula-Owusu-363127|website = www.ghanaweb.com|date= 2015-06-18|access-date = 2015-08-01}}</ref><ref name="Ghanamps">{{Cite web|title=Ghana MPs - MP Details - Owusu, Ursula G.|url=http://www.ghanamps.com/mps/details.php?id=5451|access-date=2019-03-09|website=www.ghanamps.com}}</ref> She is currently the [[Minister for Communications (Ghana)|Minister of Communications and Digitalisation]].<ref name="Ghananewsonline">{{Cite news|url=http://ghananewsonline.com.gh/ursula-owusu-shares-the-belief-that-muslims-are-intolerant/|title=Ursula Owusu shares the belief that Muslims are intolerant|date=2018-04-16|work=Ghananewsonline|access-date=2018-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Government will improve GMet Services - Communications Minister - MyJoyOnline.com|url=https://www.myjoyonline.com/government-will-improve-gmet-services-communications-minister/|access-date=2021-05-19|website=www.myjoyonline.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Glitz top 100 inspirational women – Page 100 – Glitz Africa Magazine |url=https://www.glitzafrica.com/glitz-top-100-inspirational-women/100/ |access-date=2022-05-28 |language=en-US}}</ref>


==Early life and Education==
==Early life and Education==

Revision as of 23:28, 9 October 2022

Hon.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
MP
Member of the Ghana Parliament
for Ablekuma West constituency
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 January 2013
Preceded bynew constituency
Minister for Communications
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 2017
PresidentNana Akufo-Addo
Preceded byEdward Omane Boamah
Personal details
Born (1964-10-20) 20 October 1964 (age 60)
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

Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (born 20 October 1964) hails from Akim Oda in the Eastern Region of Ghana. She is a lawyer, women's rights activist and a Ghanaian parliamentarian representing Ablekuma West constituency.[1][2][3] She is currently the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation.[4][5][6]

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 Mfantisman 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]

Pre-political 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.[10]

  • 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.[11]
  • 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) [1], and
  • Corporate and External Affairs Director, ZAIN Ghana (April 2008 to January 2009).[12]

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.[13]

In 2015, she contested and won the NPP parliamentary primaries in the Ablekuma West Constituency.[14] 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][15] 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,[16] but the following year she became the Minister of Communications.[13]

In 2017, she was appointed as the Minister to head the Ministry for Communications by President Akufo-Addo.[17][18] She is currently the Minister for Communications and Digitalization.[19]

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.[20]

Committees

She is currently serving on the following Parliamentary committees:

Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee (7th Parliament)[21]

Appointments Committee (7th Parliament)[22]

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.[23]

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]

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]

Personal

She is married with one child to a UK-based Ghanaian optometrist, Dr Sam Ekuful.[7][29][30][31] She identifies as a Christian.[9]

Honours

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.[32][33][34][35]

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.[11]

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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Ursula Owusu: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful Awarded by FIDA | Ministry of Communications". www.moc.gov.gh. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  12. ^ "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful". World Bank Live. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful – Communications - Government of Ghana". www.ghana.gov.gh. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Ursula Owusu wins controversial Ablekuma West NPP polls - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Search". Graphic Online. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  16. ^ Myjoyonline.com. "Ghana News - "Sad" Ursula Owusu to reassess political future". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  17. ^ "2nd batch of ministerial nominees; Ursula, Akoto Osei, Joe Ghartey named". Graphic Online. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Ghana Post appeals to President". Graphic Online. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  20. ^ Lamptey, Judith Lamiokor (8 December 2020). "Ursula Owusu retains Ablekuma West seat". Graphic Online. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  21. ^ "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Parliament of Ghana". www.parliament.gh. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Biography". mobile.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 20 July 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. ^ Online, Peace FM (14 July 2017). "I Want To Give My Husband A Child - Ursula Owusu-Ekuful". www.peacefmonline.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  30. ^ Zurek, Kweku (1 February 2017). "I would not have been married but for Skype - Ursula Owusu-Ekuful". Graphic Online. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  31. ^ theheraldteam (7 November 2014). "Ursula Owusu Make Amends With Neglected Son". The Herald. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  32. ^ Agyeman, Adwoa (30 September 2018). "Ursula Owusu Ekuful now Nkosuohemaa of Akyem Asuom". AdomOnline.com. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  33. ^ Starrfmonline. "Ursula installed devt queenmother at Asuom | Starr Fm". Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  34. ^ 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)
  35. ^ "Akyem Asuom installs Ursula Nkosuohemaa". www.ghanaweb.com. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ursula_Owusu&oldid=1115128228"