VOCIFEROUS Minister-designate for Communications Hon Mrs Ursula Gifty Owusu Ekuful credits her recent calm political discourse to a course she undertook at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).
According to the Minister-designate the course she undertook at KAIPTC opened her eyes to how people unwittingly lead themselves into some dangers through their actions and utterances.
Mrs Owusu Ekuful made this revelation yesterday when she took her turn at Parliament’s Appointments Committee for the ministerial vetting. Saying “the KAIPTC course has helped me to sit back and tone down a bit…pause a bit more before jumping into the fray,”
The Minister-designate for Communications who doubles as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West Constituency in the Greater Accra Region is known for her “outburst and no-nonsense posture” in the media circles.
She was reported to have said on Accra-based Okay FM in 2012, that she was troubled by the fact that some personality from the three regions of the North have shown opposition to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) free senior high school (SHS) policy and others like “northerners are cattle rearers.”.
MP for Lawra Constituency, Hon Anthony Abayifi Karbo asked whether she regreted her past utterances, she opined in a calm voice, “I am sure in our much sombre moments there are incidents you would rather not have done.”
“In the heat of battle when you are facing an onslaught you must fire a few salvos while you scurry for cover,” she quickly added.
The Minister-designate for Communications, however, explained that it is important for political actors to take steps to reduce political heat even in the political battle for power. “If you open the door we would all walk through it but sometimes we need to restrain ourselves.”
“The cordial manner in which MPs from opposing sides relate with each other in parliament should resonate and be extended outside parliament for the supporters to know they are not enemies” she added.
“We sink or swim together. Ghana has space for all of us and so we should all be able to live together,” Mrs Owusu Ekuful opined.
“We really need to build bridges and stop the punch me and I punch you,” a calm Mrs Ekuful said. “We can argue passionately but let’s draw the line at drawing blood, sometimes we tend to overdo it and I am as guilty of as the next person.” She reiterated
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