I’m frustrated – Nii Lante Vanderpuye on why he’s leaving Parliament

Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the member of parliament for the Odododiodio seat, has announced his resignation from the legislature citing discontent.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM on Thursday, the congressman from Odododiodio highlighted that politicians confront many obstacles in carrying out their responsibilities, and that this leaves them feeling frustrated. Political organizations also fail to offer any security to these lawmakers.

“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.”

He bemoaned the fact that many Members of Parliament on all sides experience this type of dissatisfaction, which contributes to the unsettling attrition rates in the House.

He claimed that members of Parliament who contribute significantly to the House are rapidly leaving.

“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.”

“Bagbin is succeeding as a Speaker because of the lengthy experience he has had as a member of parliament. If you look at his speakership, you will see some quality that is better than what we saw of other speakers who were not members of parliament, and it is clear for us to see,” Nii Lante Vanderpuye further told Nathan Quao.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye has been the MP for the constituency since 2013.

In the 2012 elections, he defeated New Patriotic Party candidate Victor Okaikoi to win the seat of Member of Parliament. Known for declaring in November 2012 that he would give up the seat to Okaikoi if he received less than 65% of the vote, Vanderpuye was fairly optimistic about his prospects of winning.

Ade Coker: If the current problems are not adequately handled, NDC could lose its Odododiodio seat.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), according to former Greater Accra Chairman Joseph Ade Coker, is in danger of losing the Odododiodio seat if the problems surrounding the party’s parliamentary primary in the district are not properly resolved.

Following a violent incident at the Greater Accra Regional office during the screening of candidates for the constituency, the party has postponed all procedures associated with the parliamentary primary in the Odododiodio Constituency.

“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. There is a former NPP person 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,” Mr. Ade Coker added in an interview on Face to Face on Citi TV.