Janet Samuel
The speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Maimunatu Ibrahima has reiterated that the parliament will continue to explore all available means to ensure the integration of the region.
The Speaker said the parliament will continue to use parliamentary diplomacy to engage countries who are seeking to leave the regional bloc.
She stated this on Wednesday while speaking with newsmen after a meeting with the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio in Abuja, Nigeria.
Recall that, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have left the regional bloc following military takeover of power in those countries.
The ECOWAS Parliament Speaker said the countries may break cooperation but the people remain together and as lawmakers, they must continue to do all that is within their power to ensure they remain United.
“We strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, because we know that the countries might break cooperation but we cannot separate the population. The population always live together and we as representatives of the people, we are doing our best so that those living together will continue to be reality and even made better”, Ibrahima said.
She noted that the essence of the visit to the leader of the Nigerian Senate is to thank him for the support the Nigerian National Assembly has been giving the ECOWAS Parliament, especially in the provision of facilities for holding its plenary sessions.
“We came to thank him for all the facilities that the senate has been providing to the ECOWAS Parliament to facilitate the holding of our sessions here in Abuja. We also discussed on the socio-political situation in the community. We also discussed on the ways parliamentarians can make more contributions on the various issues and the challenges that we are experiencing in ECOWAS”.
The President of the Nigerian Senate, who was represented by his Deputy, Barau Jibrin, applauded the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament for her leadership since assumption of office.
Akpabio expressed delight over her commitment and drive in charting a better course for the Parliament and sacrifices in using parliamentary diplomacy to strengthen the ideas of the Community Parliament.
“She has been wonderful since she was elected. Someone who has been up and doing in terms of giving some leadership to the ECOWAS Parliament. It is in that regards that she is here trying to chart a better course for the parliament to make sure that she brings in parliamentary diplomacy to bare in terms of our cooperation for those in the community and even those who are threatening to leave the community”, the President of the Nigerian Senate says.
