ECOWAS Parliament Conference Of Speakers Ends

National Parliaments in the West Africa sub-region have been urged to join in the process towards fast tracking the integration of people of the ECOWAS member states. This was part of the resolution of the 2-day ECOWAS parliament conference of speakers of west African parliament, in Abuja, tagged Abuja declaration. The recurring issue at the 2-day brainstorming conference of speakers of west African parliament again is the interrogation of the region. The issues are the challenges confronting the integration, the modalities towards the actualization and of course the role of the parliament in the process. All these the conference agreed are necessary towards the realization of ECOWAS vision 2020 of transforming from ECOWAS of states to ECOWAS of peoples. Participants however resolved that for ECOWAS parliament to fully discharge its legislative role in support of the ECOWAS commission its power must be enhanced beyond just a consultative body. Therefore, national parliaments of ECOWAS member states have a role to play by adopting the supplementary act to elevate ECOWAS parliament status. Chairman of the conference, Professor Mathurin Coffi Nago called for greater political will on the part of member countries to achieve the common goal. The next meet would be in Cotonou, Benin Republic in may 2014.