Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, Dr Sidie Tunis
Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, Dr Sidie Tunis has called on the Heads of State and Government to institute measures that would decisively tackle corruption in the region.
He made the call at the opening of parliament’s high-level seminar in Lome, Togo with the theme “Application of the power of the Parliament in light of the restructuring of the ECOWAS Commission”.
Dr Tunis said the call became necessary because corruption was responsible for the slow pace of economic growth in the region and called on members of the parliament to remain sensitive to the challenges confronting the achievements of regional integration.
“Corruption continues to undermine our development and slow down economic growth in ECOWAS Member States, the gains we have painstakingly made as a region are being threatened; threats to democracy and the rule of law, combating corruption, the realisation of the African Free Trade Area, eradicating poverty, promoting human rights, and advocating for gender equality, loom across the region,” he said.
The speaker expressed optimism that the seminar would increase the understanding of Members of Parliament of the extent of their enhanced powers and take full ownership of them and that that Members would be informed about the institutional reforms currently ongoing in the ECOWAS.
Dr Tunis also urged Member states on early warning preparedness ahead of national elections to mitigate likely election challenges as Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The High-level Parliamentary Seminar seeks to explore and discuss the parliament’s approach to the new administrative restructuring of the ECOWAS Commission.
Reporting by Idara Ukpayang; Editing by Muzha Kucha