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ECOWAS parliament to function as legislative body
The ECOWAS Parliament has resolved to set up an ad hoc committee that would move its functions from that of an advisory to a legislative body.
This was decided on Monday, during the first plenary session of the third legislature at a four-day inaugural session in Abuja.
The motion moved by Dr Mourie Kamanda of Sierra Leone was seconded by Sen. Ayogu Eze of Nigeria.
Response from the speaker of the parliament
The Speaker of the parliament, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, in his response, said
that the parliament had the powers to set up ad hoc committees that would present proposals to enable it to amend areas of the ECOWAS supplementary protocol.
’’These are parts of the procedures that the parliament will be involved in to take it from being an advisory body to a legislative one. We don’t have the mandate to amend the protocol but it is within the powers of the parliament to submit proposals to amend the protocol,” he said.
The report of the ad hoc committee on rules and procedures of the
parliament was presented to the parliament for consideration and finally
adopted as amended by the members.
Plans to strengthen ECOWAS Parliament
It would be recalled that ECOWAS Chairman, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, said that plans were underway to strengthen the commission’s parliament to act beyond playing an advisory role.
The 115 member parliament was established in accordance with Article6 and 13 of the ECOWAS Treaty.
The Parliament’s mandate
It was established with the mandate of providing advisory opinion to the
Authority of Heads of States and Governments on issues of regional
integration.
The inaugural session of the third legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament
will end on Tuesday.
NAN/Emma/Williams
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