The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu, has strongly criticized Murtala Mohammed for accusing her of being involved in LGBTQ+ activities. This incident took place during a heated parliamentary debate on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, also known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
During the proceedings, Murtala Mohammed, the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, allegedly made a statement suggesting that Ursula Owusu had associations with LGBTQ+ practitioners. This remark caught the attention of the deputy speaker, who intervened and requested Murtala Mohammed to withdraw his statement.
In response, Murtala Mohammed argued that he had not made an official statement on record and therefore saw no reason to retract a passing comment. He challenged the deputy speaker’s request, claiming that parliamentary conduct is governed by the Constitution and the standing orders of the House, and there was no provision stating that an unrecorded statement should be considered an official statement.
Amidst the ongoing exchange, the Minority leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, acknowledged that Murtala Mohammed had allegedly made unparliamentary statements. He suggested that even if Murtala did not directly address the microphone, the speaker would have heard his comments and urged him to withdraw the statement.
Ursula Owusu, visibly angered by the accusations, responded strongly to Murtala Mohammed. She expressed her frustration, stating that she had repeatedly heard him refer to her as an LGBTQ+ practitioner within the hearing of everyone in the house. She vehemently denied the allegations, emphasizing that only a mad person would make such claims without any evidence.
