Akwasi Addai aka Odike
FOUNDER OF United Progressive Party (UPP) Mr. Akwasi Addai, popularly known as Odike, has called for the scraping of by-elections in the country.
According to him, by-elections have the tendency of sparking chaos in the country. He therefore suggested that any political party that loses its Member of Parliament (MP) should be made to replace him/her automatically.
According to him, recent by-elections in the country produced violent scenes, which can easily lead to strife in the country in future.
In this regard, Odike stated on radio that the authorities concerned should quickly make by-election a thing of the past in the country.
Odike also suggested that parliamentary elections should be organized on individual basis and not on the basis of partisanship. He said contesting parliamentary seats on the basis of partisanship tends to stifle intellectual discourse in Parliament.
“We have a lot of knowledgeable people who can play meaningful roles to transform Ghana as MPs but they don’t belong to political parties. These people cannot go to Parliament and contribute towards Ghana’s growth . . .” he indicated.
He also said MPs usually champion their personal interests and that of their political parties in Parliament at the detriment of their constituents.
“We should enact new laws that would make it possible for people to contest parliamentary seats on their own. This will allow more intellectuals to contest seats and also contribute their quota towards Ghana’s transformation,” he pointed out.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr.,Kumasi