Speaker: Enhancement of Powers of ECOWAS Parliament a Priority

By Jaiyeola Andrews

The Speaker of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Hon. Moustapha Cissé Lô, has reaffirmed that the enhancement of the powers of parliament remains a priority as the Parliament adopted its work plan from 2016 to year 2020.

In his address at the first Extraordinary Session for 2016 in Abuja,  Cissé Lô, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Senegal, noted that an ECOWAS Parliament with enhanced powers would benefit the entire population of the community.

He therefore  urged members of parliament to show significant dedication and commitment towards the assignment.

“I still commend the efforts of the leadership and members of the Third Legislature of this Parliament for their painstaking effort at ensuring that we took the project of the Enhancement of the Parliament so far.

“We cannot allow the efforts put in by the last legislature to just go in vain. Based on the foregoing therefore, I have directed the General Secretariat to take another look at the process and provide concrete proposals on how best to get it back on track” Cissé Lô said.

He added that the Ad hoc Committee that was set up to consider the enhancement of powers of the Parliament would also advise on the best way forward.

The Speaker stressed that with the  successful elections in Nigeria, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin and Niger, the community’s  democratic credentials was on the rise.

He pledged that the 4th Legislature would dedicate itself towards ensuring peace, security, democracy and good governance in the sub-region.

He described the success of Nigerian government against Boko Haram terrorists as “enormous achievements.”

The speaker pointed out that the federal government  has demonstrated that terrorists and insurgents could not succeed against the collective will of the people as their reign of terror was fragile and temporary.

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