There was drama in Parliament on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, when the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill was tabled before the House for debate.
During the debate on the bill from the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, tensions reached a boiling point as members from both sides of the aisle engaged in a heated exchange, prompting a temporary halt in proceedings.
As the debate intensified, the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako who was presiding over proceedings drew the attention of the House to a commentary by Tamale Central MP, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
Despite not directly speaking into the microphone, the Speaker ordered the NDC MP to withdraw those unsavoury comments against the Ablekuma West MP, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful who also doubles as the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation.
“Hon. Murtala, withdraw that statement you made; I heard you. Please just withdraw the statement,” urged the deputy speaker.
Murtala Mohammed, however, argued that since he had not made an official statement on record, he saw no reason to withdraw a passing comment.
“Mr Speaker, if the Hansard comes and whatever you said I said is in it… Mr Speaker, if you think I said something, the honourable minister also said something. What did she say? She said I am mad,” Murtala fumed.
As the heated exchanges continued, the Minority leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, intervened and urged Murtala to withdraw his statement.
Murtala Mohammed, given the opportunity to respond again, maintained that an apology from Ursula Owusu, the MP for Ablekuma West, was also warranted. He claimed that he had heard her referring to him as “mad” during the debate.
An incensed Ursula Owusu then responded, expressing her anger at Murtala Mohammed’s repeated reference to her as an “LGBTQ+ practitioner” during the proceedings.
She vehemently rejected the allegations, stating, “Mr Speaker, I sat here and repeatedly heard Murtala refer to me as an LGBTQ+ practitioner, to the hearing of everyone in this House. I sat here and repeatedly heard him. When you haven’t seen me have sex with your wife, daughter, or mother, you sit there and refer to me in those terms.”
