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Ursula Owusu

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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

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (born 20 October 1964) is a lawyer, women's rights activist and a Ghanaian parliamentarian representing Ablekuma West constituency.[1][2][3] She has been the Minister of Communications for Ghana since the assumption of power by the New Patriotic Party in January 2017.[4]

Early life

Owusu-Ekuful was born on 20 October 1964. She hails from Akim Oda in the Eastern Region of Ghana.[3]

Owusu-Ekuful attended Labone Senior High School and proceeded to Mfantisman Girls Secondary School to have her sixth form education. She furthered her education in University of Ghana and the Ghana School Of Law where she obtained an LLB. She was called to the bar in 1990.[5] She has attended courses including one at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre,[5] where she obtained a Masters in Conflict, Peace and Security.[6][7]

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.

Owusu-Ekuful served on different boards and in different capacities in her professional career.[8] She served as a Managing Consultant, N. U. Consult Legal, Governance and Gender Consultants. She was the acting Managing Director of Western Telesystems (Westel) from September 2005 to May 2008 [1], and from April 2008 to January 2009, she was the Corporate and External Affairs Director, ZAIN Ghana.[9]

Professional associations

Owusu-Ekuful is a member of the Ghana Bar Association. She also served as an Executive Member of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ghana and a member of African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), Ghana.[8] Owusu-Ekuful has been a member of FIDA since 1990 and was a former President of FIDA Ghana and former Vice President of the Africa Regional FIDA International.[10]

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.[11] In 2015, she contested and won the NPP parliamentary primaries in the Ablekuma West Constituency.[12] 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][13] 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,[14] but the following year she became the Minister of Communications.[11]

In 2017, Ursula Owusu was appointed as the Minister to head the Ministry for Communications by President Akufo-Addo.[15][16]

in December 2020,She contested for reelection as member of parliament in the 2020 Ghanaian general election as the parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party. Going into the election as the incumbent Member of Parliament of the Ablekuma West Constituency, Owusu- Ekuful retained her seat after polling 37,363 out of 69,353 votes. Her closest competitor Rev. Kweku Addo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) came in next with 30,733 votes, whilst the other candidates who contested from the other parties, GUM, LPG and PNC polled 359, 330 and 65 respectively.[17]

Personal

She is married to a UK-based Ghanaian optometrist, Dr Sam Ekuful, with one child.[5][18][19][20] She identifies as a Christian.[6]

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.[21][22][23][24]

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