Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio constituency, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has lamented the attrition rate in parliament.
According to him, Parliament is losing quite a number of MPs who make significant contributions to the House due to some unfavorable situations. Also, he revealed that the attrition is due to some of the challenges encountered by members of parliament.
That notwithstanding, he highlighted that the Speaker of parliament, Alban Bagbin, is succeeding because of the experience gathered over the years as a member of parliament.
Mr Vanderpuye explained that with his speakership, one will see some quality that is better than what is seen with other speakers who were not members of parliament, and “it is clear for us to see”.
“The attrition rate in Parliament is too high, and as such, people do not get the sort of experience they require to advance the work of Parliament. One of the gentlemen I admire so much since I entered that House in 2013 was Dr. Osei Assibey.
“When I look at the work he does and how he comes out to analyze documents, I can see someone who spent time doing research to be able to ask the necessary questions. The late Dr. Akoto Osei was another when it came to drafting bills.”
Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye
Commenting on why he wouldn’t contest for his seat again, Mr Vanderpuye expressed the frustrations which comes with being a legislator. He stated that other legislators can resonate with his position as they equally are confronted with a number of challenges in the execution of their duties.
This, he noted, is because political parties do not provide them with any form of protection, leading to frustration.
“I am leaving Parliament because I am frustrated; the [political] parties really do not protect the people they have [in Parliament]. So, you are subjected to so much pressure that, after a time, you lose interest because you don’t get the sort of environment to be able to harmonize the talents and competence you have.”
Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye
Threats to retaining Odododiodio seat in December election
Meanwhile, former Greater Accra Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Ade Coker, has revealed that the party could potentiall lose the Odododiodio seat in the next election.
He underscored that if the party fails to address seething issues confronting the party’s parliamentary primary in the constituency, it could pose a threat to retaining the seat.
“If they don’t handle it well, we will lose that seat, and people must be up and doing because people who have gone to contest in that constituency don’t deserve to be there because that is not their constituency…”
Ade Coker
Mr Coker stated that there is a former NPP personality who has been brought in, and he is contesting contrary to the party’s constitution, “demanding that he should have served the party within a timeframe before contesting”.
“Unfortunately, there is another person who is a former MP for Amasaman who should have gone to Amasaman to ensure that they win the seat again, yet he is contesting at Odododiodio.”
Ade Coker
It will be recalled that in October this year, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) announced the temporal suspension of its parliamentary primaries at the Odododiodio Constituency.
A statement from the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, announced that all activities related to the primaries in the constituency have been temporarily suspended.
Preparations leading to the conduct of the parliamentary primary in the constituency was marred by controversy, with some aspirants accusing the party leadership of bias and favoritism.
The violence occurred at the NDC’s Greater Accra Regional Office during the vetting of aspirants which was widely condemned by the party and other stakeholders.
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