By Adoba Echono, Abuja
The President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu says the unity and cohesion of West Africa must not be compromised.
President Tinubu made the call while inaugurating the sixth legislature of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria.
President Tinubu who performed the duty as the current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government called on the Community Parliament to work towards preserving the unity of ECOWAS.
He said; “I appeal to you to really work hard on unity and cohesion for the prosperity of the West African region.
“Honorable members, as we inaugurate the sixth legislature, it is evident that we face profound challenges in our region that demands our unified effort. Recent political developments have consequential effect on each of our member states.
“Three member states considering withdrawal from the community is a challenge to us, we must preserve the unity and integrity of our organization, the ball is in your court as well as mine.”
“At this critical juncture, regional solidarity is imperative to strengthening our resilience and effectiveness as a bloc particularly against forces that aim to divide us; we must not allow this to happen, we cannot afford to remain passive as ordinary spectators while our community faces the threat of disintegration we stand united against such forces and are committed to ensuring that our unity remain unshaken,” he said.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray in his remarks, decried the pulling out of the Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
Dr. Touray appealed to the trio to reconsider their stance as their exit could spell far-reaching consequences for their citizens as well as the region.
In January this year, the three countries announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, following disagreements with the regional body over military coups in the three countries.
Dr.Touray lamented the consequences of the decision of the three countries to quit the bloc on their citizens, especially on ECOWAS institutions and advised them to reconsider their decision, even as he called for strengthening of democracy in the region not only through periodic elections but by accountability
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, noted that in the face of the various challenges confronting the region, including peace, stability, security, as well as the unity of the region, the role of the Parliament is more important than ever.
The Minister, who is also the chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, commended the outgoing 5th Legislature, especially its Speaker Mohamed Tunis, for their invaluable contributions to the ECOWAS Parliament and the Organisation as a whole.
He said; “It is, therefore, imperative that the Parliament continues to work in synergy with the ECOWAS Commission and ECOWAS Court that serve as the executive and judicial arms of our organisation.
“Collaboration between the Commission, Court and Parliament is essential to ensure the smooth implementation of policies and programs that benefit our citizens. I encourage you to maintain constructive dialogue with other bodies and to align your efforts with the broader objectives of ECOWAS.”
Outgoing Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mohammed Tunis, thanked the regional body for the opportunity given him to serve for four years even as he reaffirmed commitment to the regional body.
Dr. Tunis was appointed ceremonial speaker, following the gap that exists because Togo, the country to which the Speakership was zoned, was not able to produce the Speaker due to some political situation in the country.
He announced his intention to travel to Togo to see how best to get a Speaker, saying;
“I will proceed to Togo to have a conversion with the authorities there with a view to encouraging them to have their delegation inaugurated as soon as possible so that we can have a Speaker to run this institution. It is very, very important. There are so many things to do in the sub-region, and the ECOWAS Parliament has a very big role to play in the sub-region but they will not be able to do so without the Speaker.”
The ECOWAS parliament, also known as the Community parliament was established under Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993.
The initial protocol establishing the parliament was signed in Abuja on August 6, 1994, providing for the structure, composition, competence, and other matters relating to the parliament.
The parliament is composed of 115 seats. Each member state has a guaranteed minimum of five seats while the remaining 40 seats are shared based on population.
However, only 97 members, comprising lawmakers from various member states, were sworn.
They include 35 members from Nigeria and five each from Benin Republic, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leon, and Togo.
Others include eight members from Ghana, seven from Cote d’Ivoire and six each from Senegal and Guinea.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have no representatives in the sixth parliament as these states had expressed their intention to exit the bloc.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
