A beautiful woman with bad character is marriageable; an ugly woman with good character is also marriageable – they will both be wives, but one will depart her husband’s house early.
Our elders have a saying that, when you are going to marry, your beauty will send you, but your character, will bring you back.
Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.
Ursula Owusu Ekuful, is a beautiful woman with a bad character. There is a saying that, old women feel unease when dry bones are mentioned, encapsulates Ursula Owusu’s unease at the mention of Communication Service Tax (CST).
In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the oldest man of the clan, said that, “those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble”.
The frequency with which Ursula Owusu Ekuful, attacks anyone who disagrees or questions her decisions, is nauseating.
I, as well as other well-meaning Ghanaians, are particularly irritated by the recent insult targeted at the former Deputy Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament of Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency, Cassiel Ato Forson.
Ato Forson, incurred the wrath of the Communications Minister, when as part of his patriotic duty wrote a very innocuous letter to her, advising her for her directive to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to stop upfront deduction of the Communications Service Tax (CST).
Mr Forson, who is the Minority’s spokesperson on Finance criticised this, explained that only the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is empowered to give orders on tax administration.
In her response she wrote back to the colleague legislator rejecting the suggestion to withdraw the directive, Ursula Owusu said the MP’s reading of the law is his opinion, adding that if she wants lessons in good morals, “I certainly won’t go to the brothel for it.”
You don’t need a language tutor to see through the arrogance and show of power Ursula Owusu is displaying. Anytime she is called to account, instead of engaging in intellectual exercise, she will go to town, doing what she knows how to do best; insult.
When the thorny issue of Kelni GVG came to the fore, members of Imani Africa, led by its president Franklin Cudjoe, who exposed the fraud, were taken to the cleanest.
The ‘iron lady’ Ursula, did not spare them at all, she showed them where power lies. Her attitude is the very definition of existential superiority: I am Ursula and you are not!
Ursula and her ilk feel fated to rule Ghana. They are persuaded that it is their lot to have the final say on the nation’s affairs.
The beauty of democracy of is the principle that, we are all entitle to our opinion. It is a contest where we agree to disagree. As a lawyer, Ursula is in a better position to understand the principle of interpretation. No two judges see the law the same that is why jurisprudence, has made provision for appeal, even to the apex court.
An argument can be made without insult, one can be told he is wrong, without necessarily letting the person feel insulted.
Let us assume without conceding that, Ato Forson, was wrong in his interpretation of the law, but the decorum with which he treated the issue by not running to the press, as many politicians, would have done, demanded that, in responding to him and bringing his attention to where he got it wrong, you do it in a civil and respectful manner.
There is a proverb among our people that, when you are bathing and a mad man, comes for your cloth; you don’t run after him naked.
Ursula Owusu, has betrayed her conscience and as one of the few vibrant women politicians, will probably live with that for a long time. In the process, she has become a case study, a reference point almost an enigma of sorts. If you disagree with me, you should have been on Tell It All (TIA), a social media group on Whatsapp, last Sunday, when someone posted her picture and asked members to wish her happy birthday.
I felt so embarrassed for her, because within minutes, you had over a thousand people commenting on the post. The barrage of criticism and unpalatable descriptions could draw tears even from the eyes of an executioner.
The administrators of the group had to mute the comment section and eventually pulled down the post.
If there was any lesson for me, it was that humility pays.
Ursula Owusu, is among the few women who have joined the game, which is seen primarily as reserved for men, but she seems to understand the game more than the men.
The future of Ursula Owusu in politics is very shaky, her arrogance and illusory intellect will not allow her to go beyond a Member of Parliament and Minister of State.
When she first made the political appearance, I was of the strong conviction that, she will be the first female president of the country, but her attitude has robbed her of that chance.
Women will even campaign against such a prospect, the self-indicting attitude has been displayed in upper case and virtually everyone who matters in politics in Ghana and does not share her ideology, have received a mouth beating from her.
Everyone’s true colours show eventually. Ursula Owusu’s true colour is clearly showing. Her warning is simple; speak up against the CST or against any decision by her ministry, and you she will descend on you like a vulture.
If you forgive the fox for stealing your chicken, he will take your sheep. If we let Ursula Owusu go to sin again another time, then they are no men in the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
To lead is not to run roughshod over people and the jungle they say, is stronger than the elephant.
