A communications team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is of the view that Ablekuma West MP, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful‘s response to Tamale Central MP, Murtala Mohammed over his unsavoury comments during the Anti LGBTQI+ bill reading was not out of place.
According to Ellen Ama Daaku, the Communications Minister only gave a reply she saw fit for her colleague’s comment.
“If you insult someone and you are in the same space and you are asked to retract and you refuse, the person has the right to reply. In this altercation, Hon Murtala said what he said and got the reply for it,” she said on Accra-based TV3.
There was a brief interruption in Parliament on Wednesday as the microphones in parliament picked up a whisper while South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor was on the floor arguing over the legislation of the Anti-LGBTQ bill.
The Second Deputy Speaker who was in the chair, called out Mr Mohammed and asked him to withdraw an unparliamentary comment he was deemed to have passed.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, who was incensed by the development, accused the legislator of calling her a practitioner of LGBTQ, claims Mr Murtala vehemently denied.
She burst out and called out all other legislators who she believed heard the comment but turned deaf ears to it.
But to Madam Daaku, the issue wouldn’t have escalated in the manner it did if the Tamale Central MP had initially apologised when the Speaker ordered.
“Hon Murtala should have withdrawn but he refused. It doesn’t matter whether he said it into the microphone or not so Ursula also has the right to defend herself. Nobody needs to defend her. She is woman enough to defend herself and gave the reply she saw fit,” she stated.
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