Ursula Owusu touches on Collins Dauda's ‘parliament attack’

Communications Minister-designate, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has explained what actually transpired in Parliament on January 7, 2021, that led to the assault of the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South Constituency, Collins Dauda.

Ursula Owusu, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West on January 7, 2021, during the commencement of the 8th Parliament was shoved by the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, after she picked a seat on the side dominated by the NDC MPs.

The Ablekuma West MP immediately got up from the floor and retaliated by pushing Collins Dauda to the floor unprovoked by him.

Narrating the reason for her actions, she told the Appointment Committee that she shove Collins Dauda because she assumed he was the one who instructed the MP for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey to pull out her chair which led to her falling on her knees in the chamber.

Adding that she did so because Collins Dauda had earlier told her to leave the seat before the incident.

She was later informed there was no link between the two, and she has since apologized to the MP.

“A lot happened on January 7, 2021 and none of us can proud of. We entered the chamber and no seat was labelled and nobody had an idea of where to sit. In my estimation, it was supposed to be free sitting and anybody could seat anywhere. Incidentally, that was the same seat I was seated on in the house on the same day. As I sat on my seat, Collins Dauda kept asking me what are you doing here? get up and leave. Since I didn’t see anybody’s name on a seat and anybody can seat anywhere?

“I was sitting here when the Member of Parliament of Ashaiman MP in the company of several other gentlemen walked up; I understand that my inference to his earlier comment and the unprovoked assault on him at the time were not linked but the chair was pulled from me and I fell on my knees and so when I got up, instinctively I made a conclusion that he (Collins Dauda) have colluded with the gentleman who did that and I said if you won’t allow me sit on my chair then I won’t allow you sit on that chair. I am not justifying what happened but the event of January 7, 2021, got out of hands and I have apologized to Collins Dauda and I’m yet to get an apology from Ernest Norgbey who pushed the chair from under me.” She explained.