Ursula Owusu-Ekuful’s Hate Speech is a blot on Ghana’s Democratic Credentials

The Ghana project which was executed with the blood and sweat of many ordinary but selfless Ghanaians over time has enjoyed the Democratic brand and respect from all over the world. Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, Ghana’s democracy has improved although with some few challenges, but as a democracy, nobody expect the process to be seamless. There will be some ups and downs but those times are expected to come to smoothen and strengthen the process.

Some of Ghana’s neighbors in the ECOWAS sub-region have experienced political upheavals. Most recent is Cote D’viore who came out of a civil war occasioned by an electoral dispute. The ravages of the 1994 Rwandan genocide should always serve as a lesson to any African Country and their politicians about the dangers of hate speech and ethnocentrism.

Hon Ursula Owusu’s appearance in Public Life came with a very good picture of an advocate, a gender activist and a nationalist against discrimination. She used this platform as an eloquent lawyer to get following and woo trust from many women across the political and ethnic divides in Ghana and beyond. In fact, her elevation into the high office of a legislator and subsequently a cabinet minister was a welcoming news to women groups, most minority groups and to the proletariat who hardly get the opportunity to also lead.

Fast forward, the gender activist who championed the elevation of nationalism beyond discrimination against women, minority groups and above all against tribal bigotry has herself become an irony of her own shadow in the past. She has grown into an arrogant woman whose public commentary, body language and posture leave scars on women activism, nationalism and advocacy against discrimination.

Conflict analysts will tell you that one of the major causes especially in a polarized country like Ghana is when minority groups feel discriminated against and/or their rights taken for granted. These comments from the now Senior Minister, Mr Osafo Marfo to the effect that those who qualify to rule over the rest must automatically come from the so called resource rich regions and the subsequent comment by Ghana’s Majority Leader in Parliament, Hon Osei Kye Mensah Bonsu that the compilation of the new voter’s register will ensure that the NDC will never win any election in this country, have come to fit into the recent comments made by Madam Ursula Owusu that “they won’t sit down and allow anybody except they to rule Ghana again”. This was followed by her famous comment that “they, the owners of Ghana have taken over their country”. These two are a replica of what the Senior Minister said and that of Majority Leader’s comment. These comments are dangerous than atomic bombs unleashed on Ghana.

Ghana belongs to all of us and not to those from the so called resource regions. What makes Ghana great is not the claim of ownership but the genuine commitment and efforts by all taxpayers from the markets to the farms. Ghana belongs to the many taxpayers whose taxes give President Nana Addo and Minister Ursula Owusu the financial power to run and manage the government machinery.

Today, Ursula Owusu doesn’t think the ordinary people in Sandema or Tefle deserve to rule but only those she thinks form their clique who she refers to as “we” deserve to rule over all of us. So to her, it’s about us-they matrix and not the common agenda of nationalism. The dangers to a democracy are such reckless and irresponsible commentary and the feeling that some people are Ghanaian than others. Madam Ursula Owusu must be watched closely, because such characters are dangerous than terrorist organizations and deadly than infectious diseases like Ebola.

I, with all humility and plea call on the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo to as a matter of urgency, revoke her appointment to serve as a deterrent to many of her likes who are saturated with this bizarre and archaic mentality. We hope that this singular action will prevent a possible future chaos that would have arisen as a result of people’s disastisfaction for such obnoxious statements. I also call on women groups/activists to condemn such commentary from Madam Ursula Owusu without fear or favor. Women are noted for peace and not warmongers.

This is an opinion of a woman nationalist who believes in opportunities for all and not a privileged few.

Thank you.

Source: Ruth Della Seddoh

(DEP. NATIONAL YOUTH ORG.-NDC