Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has defended comments made by the Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, on the candidature of NDC’s running mate, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.

According to the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, the comments made by the Majority Leader were not derogatory as suggested by some.

Mr. Mensah-Bonsu speaking to the press in Parliament on Tuesday, July 7, opined Prof. Opoku-Agyemang had a good character but lacked the required qualities to improve the chances for John Dramani Mahama ahead of the 2020 elections.

“If he [John Mahama] wanted a woman, when they were mentioning some women who have demonstrable competence who have risen through this House to establish themselves firmly in the feminist [arena], one such person could have been Hanna Tetteh. She has been an MP before, she has been a Minister for Foreign Affairs. So, she has learned the rules, so she could have complimented the [ex] President Mahama. The former Attorney General is also there– Marietta Brew. She is also a solid lady. But you ask yourself what value is this woman [Prof. Opoku-Agyemang] bringing to that ticket, and that’s where I find it extremely difficult” the Majority Leader said.

Reacting to the comments on NewsFile on Saturday, July 11, 2020, Mrs. Ursula Owusu said; “I absolutely don’t agree that the Majority Leader’s comment was derogatory. When it comes to the NDC people making certain comments which offend other women from other political parties, none of them ever speak up in their defence and that is where the selectivity comes in which goes at the root of it.”

She added, Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang’s candidature on the ticket of the NDC was not going to be a "useful one".

“Moving on, while I think that she is not going to be a very useful addition to the [NDC] ticket is because when the Free SHS policy was brought into the fold, she [Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang] never championed the agenda to be a useful one though she was the Education Minister at the time,” Owusu-Ekuful said.

“Even after the policy was introduced, they the [NDC] sponsored demonstrations to kick against the Free SHS policy,” she concluded.