Parliament calls for synergy between it and ECOWAS Commission

Sen. Ike Ekweremadu
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament

Parliament calls for synergy between it and ECOWAS Commission

ECOWAS parliament has called for enhanced synergy between the ECOWAS Commission and the parliament.

The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, made the call at the opening of the 2011 extra-ordinary session of the third legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament on Monday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Need for synergy

He said that this would enable parliamentarians as representatives of the people, to have knowledge and understanding of the programmes and policies of the community.

Ekweremadu said: “We have just commenced the journey of the third legislature and adequate knowledge is needed by all members of parliament on the main activities and programmes of ECOWAS.”

“Consequently, the commission being the implementing organ, is better poised to provide us with this knowledge so that together as partners, we can make significant progress in the integration project,”  he noted.

The Speaker decried the proportion of the community's citizens who took advantage of programmes presented by ECOWAS and reiterated the need for synergy to achieve the ECOWAS Vision 2020.

Challenges

In his words, “for us in this parliament, the greatest challenge is the role we should play in the transformation of ECOWAS from an ECOWAS of states to an ECOWAS of people.”

“One of the major spirits behind the 2006 restructuring of Community Institutions, including the parliament, was to establish synergy in their functioning,” the speaker added.

Issues of interest

According to Ekweremadu, the session is primarily dedicated to interactions between the Parliament and the ECOWAS Commission.

He further said the session would address air transportation, especially as it concerned the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Accord.

He explained that issues as landing rights, airspace management, compensation of passengers for missing luggage and missed flights would be adequately addressed.

Ekweremadu also said the session would address the issue of telecommunications through submarine cables which would enhance access to telecommunications and data services at cheaper rates, increased employment and tax revenues.

The Speaker also said the parliament would address the incorporation of e-learning in the educational curriculum of West African states.

He said this would make e-learning much easier and acceptable with a view to aligning the region’s educational methods with global best practices.

“These subjects will in turn be referred to relevant standing committees for consideration and recommendations which are to guide our deliberations on them in plenary,” he said.

The second Deputy Speaker, Saran Sereme, reiterated the need for the commission to see the parliament as an important organ of the ECOWAS.

According to reports, the extra-ordinary session of the third legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament will hold from December 5 to 14.

The parliament will consider among others, the reports of the meetings of the ECOWAS Ad-hoc Committee on the draft action plan of the parliament and member states.

NAN/Adekusibe/Williams