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By Gloria Ikibah

The Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, has urged member states to speed up the implementation of the free movement protocol.

Speaker Ibrahima stated this at the opening of a delocalized meeting of the joint Committees on Trade, Customs and Free Movement/Social Affairs, Gender, Women Empowerment & Persons with Disabilities/Legal Affairs and Human Rights/Political Affairs, Peace Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), ta Banjul, The Gambia, with the theme: Parliament’s role in the implementation of the protocol on the free movement of persons, right of residence, and establishment in the ECOWAS region.

According to her, free movement is vital for ECOWAS regional integration and it supports economic growth, cultural exchange, and regional security, especially as it remains the promotion of cooperation and integration between its Member States, having adopted the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons and the Right of Residence and Establishment in the Region on May 29,  1975.

The Speaker said that the full realisation of free movement in the ECOWAS area requires strong governance, based on mutual trust, shared responsibility and ownership of results. She therefore urged members of parliament to put in place mechanism that will ensure constant monitoring for effective  implementation of the protocols and stressed the need for policy makers and stakeholders to unify their efforts to identify challenges and propose solutions that will maximize the benefits of free movement at the regional and national levels.

The objective she said will be achieved through the development of coordinated policies and actions.

She said: “The Protocol allows ECOWAS citizens to enter and move freely in Member States without a visa. They can settle and carry out economic activities, subject to obtaining an ECOWAS card or residence permit. These measures facilitate mobility and stimulate intra-regional trade within our space.

“Despite these advances, considerable challenges remain in the implementation of our own choices. In recent years, free movement within the Community has been severely tested by several factors.

“Weaknesses in the implementation mechanism, differences in national interests and infrastructure problems hinder the achievement of the Protocol’s objectives. You will agree with me that the full realisation of free movement in the ECOWAS area requires strong governance, based on mutual trust, shared responsibility and ownership of results.

“To achieve our objectives, it is imperative to put in place mechanisms that ensure constant monitoring for more effectiveness of our protocols.

“Undoubtedly, the institution best placed to carry out these audits and ensure this balance within the ECOWAS architecture is the ECOWAS Parliament. Unfortunately, the latter is still insufficiently involved in the implementation of the Protocol and its Additional Protocols. This limits its contribution to effective and complete integration.” She added.

The 4th Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS parliament, Billay Tunkara called on the need for the committee to focus on issues that will promote fast implementation of the free movement protocols in the region.

Hon Tunkara who is also Head of the Gambia delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, said the meeting is an opportunity for the joint committee to review and renew the commitment on the ideals of ECOWAS and work collaboratively to the full realisation of the fundamental goals of integration.

He said: “We are reminded of the critical role that this body plays in shopping for our region and the continent at large.

“The theme of this meeting is in many ways fundamental of acting on totality of objectives of which ECOWAS as a body was established, therefore, the free movement of people and the rights to residence and idea of unhindered opportunity for the community of the region to be able to freely establish business across our borders, and not just principles and trying in our protocol, they are in the true objectives of ECOWAS. The very foundation of the unity, economic, integration and prosperity to seek for all of our citizens.

“I wish to prevail on all of us to assert roles in direction of shaping the ECOWAS to meet the very objectives for which it has been established and consequently discharge our duties to the great continent of our people”.

Tunkara therefore tasked MPs to approach the meeting with determination to create tangible outcomes that will benefit the lives of millions of citizen across the community.