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Speaker Ibrahima Calls For Bold Reforms Amid Mounting Pressures
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Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Rt. Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima, has caused that peace across West Africa cannot be taken for granted, calling on the leaders to confront rising insecurity, democratic fragility and economic strain with urgency and unity.
Speaker Ibrahima stated this in her welcome address at the opening of the First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament for 2026 in Abuja on Monday, said the region must remain steadfast in defending democratic values while responding to growing internal and external pressures.
She reaffirmed democracy as the bedrock of the regional bloc, even as she acknowledged emerging threats.
“Developments within our region reaffirm the view that democracy remains the unshakeable foundation of our Community,” Ibrahim stated.
At the same time, she urged caution and responsibility, particularly in politically fragile states.
“Beyond this conviction, Honourable colleagues, we must remain vigilant. In this regard, I call on the authorities of Guinea-Bissau to demonstrate responsibility by restoring constitutional order in that sister country,” she said.
Speaker Ibrahima also condemned recent violence in the region, expressing solidarity with affected nations.
She painted a broader picture of a world in turmoil, warning that global conflicts are compounding economic hardship across West Africa.
“The Parliament places high value on stability and peace within our West African sub-region. Accordingly, it condemns the terrorist attacks carried out on 25 April 2026 in several localities in the Republic of Mali and expresses its solidarity with the Malian people.
“We are meeting at a time when the international environment is marked by tensions and violent conflicts in the Middle East, in Europe, and on our own continent.
“These crises, with their troubling energy implications, are also driving inflationary pressures, particularly on foodstuffs and agricultural inputs, thereby seriously affecting our already fragile economies,” she said.
She further highlighted the region’s exposure to terrorism, piracy, cross-border crime and climate change, describing them as persistent threats requiring coordinated action.
Against this backdrop, Ibrahim stressed that lasting peace demands deliberate effort and cooperation.
“Faced with the multiplication of flashpoints, no region is immune. The message must be clear: peace cannot be decreed — it must be patiently built through dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect. The ECOWAS Parliament must echo this imperative to our Member States and partners,” she said.
Looking ahead, she pointed to the upcoming ECOWAS Future Summit in Lomé as a critical opportunity to reshape the bloc’s direction.
She emphasised the Parliament’s central role in that process, describing it as a key platform for democratic legitimacy and accountability.
“This summit aims to accelerate the implementation of Vision 2050 in light of current challenges. It will provide an opportunity to reposition our Community by defining how regional integration — at the heart of our ambition — can be achieved, strengthened and adapted to new realities.
“We must contribute meaningfully to this broader reflection on the future of our regional integration process. Our session must therefore produce bold resolutions and informed opinions commensurate with the challenges before us,” she said.
Highlighting recent parliamentary activities, Ibrahim said engagements across the region had focused on employment, social protection, and fiscal oversight, including discussions on digital skills, the plight of street children, and budget implementation.
Ibrahim outlined key priorities for the session, including reviewing community legislation, assessing implementation of regional programmes, and engaging with civil society and development partners.
She also highlighted upcoming discussions on artificial intelligence, tax policy harmonisation, and women’s economic empowerment, particularly in trade and export opportunities.
“The task before us is immense, but our determination is unwavering.
“Let us make this session a decisive turning point in our efforts to strengthen our democracies and fulfil the promise of effective, visible regional integration for our peoples.”
Declaring the session open, Ibrahim called for unity and bold action,” she said.
The Osun State Police Command has summoned Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, over comments attributed to him in a viral video concerning members of the Accord Party.
The invitation followed public outrage over the video, in which Fadahunsi, speaking in Yoruba during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign event in Ilesa, was allegedly heard making remarks interpreted as a threat against Accord supporters.
In a letter dated August 11, 2026, the police directed the senator to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo at 11am on Wednesday, August 12, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the remarks.
The letter, signed by Samuel Etaifo Erale, commissioner of police in charge of elections in Osun State, said the invitation was based on allegations that Fadahunsi made statements considered threatening, inciting and intimidating.
The invitation is premised on information in possession of the Nigeria Police alleging that during your address at the aforementioned programme, you made statements considered to be threatening, inciting and intimidating in nature, and the statement has already been in circulation on various electronic and social media platforms,” the letter stated.
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced in which Fadahunsi was reportedly heard telling APC supporters to “kill” Accord members. The remarks drew widespread condemnation as the state prepares for Saturday’s governorship election.
Fadahunsi later denied calling for violence, saying his remarks had been taken out of context. His media team explained that he was urging voters to defeat the Accord Party through their votes, describing the statement as political and metaphorical.
The controversy comes amid political tension in Osun, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke seeking re-election on the Accord platform and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji among the major contenders in the August 15 poll.
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a landmark executive bill aimed at regulating the trade of metal and electrical scraps, standardising residential rent, and capping property agency fees across the state.
Presided over by the Speaker, Moses Odunwa, during Tuesday’s plenary at the Assembly Complex on Nkaliki Road, the law, cited as the Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent, and Agent Fees Regulation Law 2026, came into effect immediately upon passage on August 11, 2026.
The legislation establishes strict regulatory frameworks to curb public property vandalism, checkmate environmental degradation, and eliminate exploitative practices within Ebonyi’s real estate market.
Some provisions of the law state that unlicensed buying, selling, possession, transportation, or disposal of metal and electrical scraps is now strictly prohibited. Violators face up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine not exceeding ₦500,000, or both.
It states that standard rent tariffs prescribed by Governor Francis Nwifuru will govern applicable housing categories; landlords are legally barred from demanding rates exceeding the prescribed caps. Furthermore, landlords who obtain possession orders through fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment of facts face up to two years’ imprisonment.
The legislation indicated that agency fees for real estate transactions are now capped at a maximum of 2% of the gross transaction value for both professional and non-professional agents.
To enforce transparency and accountability, all estate agents operating within the capital city must register with the Ministry of the Capital City.
Presenting the merits of the executive bill, Leader of the House Kingsley Ikoro urged his colleagues to give the measure swift passage, emphasising its role in safeguarding public infrastructure and protecting vulnerable tenants.
Echoing these sentiments, several lawmakers voiced strong support during deliberations: Victor Nwoke (Abakaliki North), Nwodo Nwodo (Ebonyi North West), Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali (Afikpo East), Friday Ogbuewu (Ezza South), Celestine Ogba (Onicha East)
The lawmakers described the legislation as a timely intervention against the surge in municipal scrap theft and arbitrary rent hikes by speculative landlords.
Speaking shortly after the bill passed its third reading following a clause-by-clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, Speaker Moses Odunwa remarked, “Scrap dealers have shown a brazen lack of restraint, causing widespread havoc to critical public infrastructure and private property. This law restores sanity to our property market and prioritises overall public safety.”
In other legislative business, the House considered and formally adopted the Auditor-General’s Report on the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Ebonyi State Government for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, confirming its alignment with standard accounting principles.
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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has disclosed what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu told him after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) froze the state government’s account.
The governor spoke on Tuesday during the Arise Town Hall for Osun governorship candidates ahead of Saturday’s election, while responding to questions about his relationship with Tinubu and allegations of federal interference in the election.
Adeleke said Tinubu told him he was embarrassed by the development and insisted that the action was unacceptable, stressing that the president had assured him of a free and fair election.
According to Adeleke, the president’s intervention showed that Tinubu was not responsible for ordering the freezing of the state’s account, contrary to claims attributed to some political actors.
He alleged that his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola, had been using Tinubu’s name to influence federal agencies because of his relationship with the president, who is Oyetola’s cousin.
Adeleke said Tinubu had a demanding national responsibility and might not always be aware when his name was being invoked by individuals seeking to influence government agencies.
And Mr. President promised a free and fair election. It is, politics is local.
“It is Oyetola that is feeling that pain of defeat, and he has vowed that he will destroy Osun State by dropping Mr. President’s name to destroy Osun State. Look, he’s not the only one from Osun State. We own Osun State together. We will not allow that to happen. So he’s the one, he’s the one using federal might. I can say it without fear.” (Nigerian Tribune)
Just in: Police summon Osun Senator over alleged violence threat against Accord members
Ebonyi State Assembly passes Bill regulating house rent, agent fees
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