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Speaker ECOWAS Parliament Urges Member States to Fast-Track Free Movement Protocol Implementation
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.
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ECOWAS Parliament Calls for Reforms to Address Multiple Crises In Sub-region
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Tinubu declines assent to bill seeking to extend National Assembly staff retirement age
By Francesca Hangeior.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has withheld his assent to a bill that proposed extending the retirement age for legislative officers and staff of the National Assembly.
The bill aimed to increase the retirement age from 60 to 65 years or extend the length of service from 35 to 40 years, whichever came first.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to Make Provisions for the Retirement Age for Staff of the National Assembly and Related Matters,” the bill passed its second reading in October 2023.
Despite multiple attempts in the 7th, 8th, and 9th Assemblies, the bill had previously failed to pass.
Reintroduced in the 10th Assembly and sponsored by Deputy Minority Leader Hon. Aliyu Sani Madaki (NNPP, Kano), the bill was finally passed by the House on December 20, 2023, but did not receive presidential approval.
Although the Senate initially rejected the bill, it backtracked and passed the bill on the 31st of March 2024 and was transmitted to the President for his assent.
Some of those who opposed the Bill believe that it will lead to stagnation through the rank, while those who supported the bill argued that it will promote efficiency and ensure that experience prevails
However, Tinubu in a letter, read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary, said he has decided to withhold his assent to the Bill.
He said his decision was informed by the consent which empowered him to take such an action.
The letter reads in part: “I write in respect of the harmonised retirement age for legislative officers of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Bill passed by the National Assembly and forwarded to me for assent.
“Upon thorough examination and careful consultation, I have decided to withhold my assent to the bill.
“This decision is made in accordance with the powers vested in me by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I wish to express my sincere appreciation of the diligent work of the Senate as regards the drafting and passage of this bill.
“However, I trust that this decision would be received with understanding and acceptance.”
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Nigerians struggling to survive due to harsh realities of inflation – Akpabio
By Francesca Hangeior.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said that the citizens are struggling to survive as a result of the courageous economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu.
In a welcome address to fellow Senators on Tuesday, marking their return from the annual recess, Akpabio noted that the National Assembly is fully aware of the economic struggles citizens face, including inflation, high living costs, and market volatility.
He expressed sympathy for Nigerians enduring these challenges but maintained that the current economic situation is not the fault of the Tinubu administration.
He, thereafter, sympathized with Nigerians for the harsh economic situation but claimed that the situation was not caused by the Tinubu-led administration.
He said, “In the face of rising economic pressures, our fellow citizens have been grappling with the harsh realities of inflation, soaring living costs, unpredictable markets and economic indices.
“The challenges have tested the very fabric of our society, and we stand together to express our deepest empathy for every Nigerian who may be buried in the brunt of the current reforms as a result of the need to reposition the economy for most of our country and take us out of the doldrums and the messy situation we met when we assumed office in 2023. We want Nigerians to know that their struggles are not lost on this side.”
He assured that the upper chamber would respond to the economic challenges of the country.
Akpabio said, “Our security duty, as your earnest representatives, remains to respond with the audacity and compassion that the current situation deserves.”
He, however, commended the president for the courageous reforms being carried out on the Nation’s economy which according to him, have started yielding fruits.
He stated, “Amidst these trials, we have also seen commendable strides in various sectors from the executive arm of government led by President Bola Tinubu. Our agricultural initiatives are beginning to bear fruits. The strides made in infrastructure can be seen by all, even starting from the federal capital territory.
“These glimmers of hope pave the way for a brighter future. The hard-won gains will not overshadow the pressing issues that still loom large before us.”
On insecurity, the Senate President assured that lawmakers will prioritise the security of people’s lives and properties.
He stated, “We must, as senators, prioritize the issues of security of our great nation, ensuring that every citizen can walk down any street in this country without fear.
“In the sense of such, insecurity in some parts of the country remains a source of concern for the Nigerian Senate. It is also a clear calling for us to double our efforts in crafting laws and taking decisive actions in the National Assembly to safeguard our communities. There cannot be development in the face of insecurity.”
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