Blows in Parliament : We didn’t fight, we were only principled – Nii Lante Vanderpuye

Member of Parliament for the Odododiodoo constituency, Nii Lante Vanderpuye has justified the behavior of the Minority group in Parliament on Monday, December 20, night.

Speaking on JoyNews PM Express after the scuffle monitored by GhanaPlus.com, he said they couldn’t allow the first Deputy Speaker to perpetrate an illegality against the constitution and the people of Ghana.

Nii Lante Vandepuye said the constitution of Ghana enjoin Ghanaians to protect the constitution at all time and that was what the Minority did in the face of the sit-in speaker’s decision to participate in the division on the night while presiding.

“We didn’t fight; we were principled in the fact that this man once said that as a First Deputy Speaker, he wasn’t a speaker it led to confusion”.

“Today too he wants to arrogate to himself a vote that by sitting in the chair and presiding he didn’t have. We couldn’t allow him to do what was wrong. You and I agree that the constitution that we all have agree have govern us tells us that we reserve right to prevent somebody from upturning the constitution of the republic Ghana and that what exactly what we did,” Nii Lante Vanderpuye noted.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye, others fight in Parliament over e-levy

Ghana’s Parliament was thrown into a free for all fight on Monday, December 20, night following a decision by the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei Owusu to participate in a division to determine whether the house could pass the government’s proposed e-levy under a certificate of urgency.

Mr Joe Osei Owusu, affectionately called Joe Wise, had called for a division and announced subsequently, he will join the process to be counted.

While doing so, the Second Deputy Speaker will sit-in in his stead and vice versa.

“Hon because i we don’t have a division am advised that the agreement is that we will all file out and then the yes will come and they are counted after that the nos will come and they are counted. And let me put on records that i soon as i leave the seat, i am entitled to vote,” Joe Wise said.

“Order and maybe when the Second Deputy Speaker had voted you will re-leave me and i will caste my vote,” he added.

The decision was however, objected by the Minority.

It ended in a physical fight when Joe wise got out of his seat, bowed to the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah to enable him take over from him.

In an attempt to snatch the Speaker’s chair by the Minority MPs, the fight broke out between the Minority and the Majority.

The MPs including, Mr Vanderpuye, pushed, shoved, throw punches and physically attacked each other in full glare of cameras.

The development have since been condemned by all and sundry.

However, the Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has explained the First Deputy Speaker was exiting the Speaker’s chair because he was unwell and not because he wanted to take part in the division.

Source: GhanaPlus.com