Janet Samuel, Abuja
Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, alongside Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, amongst others, have been inaugurated as members of the 6th Legislature of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) parliament.
The inauguration which took place at the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, was done in the presence of President Bola Tinubu, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibril, representatives of parliamentarians of other ECOWAS countries, diplomats and top government officials.
Speaking at the inauguration, President Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government called on ECOWAS member states to come together, strengthen ties, and reject forces bent on causing division within the community.
The president, who emphasized that, member states can not afford to remain passive spectators while the community faces the threat of disintegration, added that regional solidarity is imperative to strengthen the bloc’s resilience and effectiveness at this critical juncture.
“We stand united against such forces and are committed to ensuring that our unity remains unshaken. We must ensure that cooperation amongst us is strengthened, with a view to building a sense of common destiny and purpose. No one can do this for us. We must come together.
“To this extent, reinforcing the legitimacy of the decisions taken by the Authority of Heads of State is key in sending a message that ECOWAS is one indivisible body. It is also very important that the executives, on the other hand, show similar confidence in the Parliament, which would indeed deepen democracy in our region. Meanwhile, in the midst of ongoing challenges, our partnership can be a driving force for stability, growth, and prosperity in our region,” the President said.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the aspirations of the community and, by extension, the fundamental objectives upon which the ECOWAS Parliament was established.
“Furthermore, to realize the ECOWAS ‘Vision 2050’, we require greater involvement of the people in the decision-making processes of the community. That can only be achieved through their duly-elected representatives who, being members of their national parliaments, are seconded to the community parliament. We are here, collectively, to serve all the good and great people of West Africa.
President Tinubu also stated that Nigeria, as the host of the community’s institution, will continue to support the Parliament to achieve its objectives.
Earlier, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his address said ECOWAS should be used to ensure unity and deepening of integration of the West African region.
Speaking on the achievements and progress made so far by the ECOWAS Parliament, Akpabio said: “through our collective efforts, we have fostered regional cooperation, promoted democracy, and strengthened governance across our member states
In his remarks, the outgone speaker of the 5th Parliament Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis said the ECOWAS Parliament, since its formation, has contributed efficiently and effectively to the implementations of the objectives of the Community, in its unending quest to strengthen representative democracy across the region.
While stressing the incoming Parliamentarians on their responsibilities Tunis said,, “the work of a Parliament can never be exhausted”. Hence, you are expected to continue from where we stopped. Even though our region is experiencing some moments of progress, resilience, and hope, there equally remain several pressing issues that are shaping the socio-political landscape of the sub region which require your prompt and robust actions.
The ECOWAS Parliament is one of the institutions of ECOWAS established by the ECOWAS Treaty of May 28, 1975, signed in Lagos, Nigeria, which was revised in July 1993 and signed in Abidjan and it is what is currently in use.
ECOWAS Parliament comprises 115 members drawn from the 15-member State of which Nigeria is one with 35 slots, followed by Ghana which has eight seats. Côte d’Ivoire is allotted seven seats, while Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal have six seats, respectively.
