Following the dissolution of the parliament of Guinea-Bissau by the President, H. E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo, due to tension between the Parliament and the presidency, a member of Liberia’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Stephen J. H. Zargo said electing lawmaker to the Community Parliament is the way forward in addressing Executive interference.
He opined that due to coup and interference from the Executive arm of government, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Guinea-Guinea-Bissau would have difficulties in their representation at the Community Parliament.
According to the Vice Chair of the Committee on Trade, Customs and Free Movement, when it comes to good governance the West African sub-region is retrogressing in Africa, as formerly ECOWAS was seen as the ideal regional grouping.
“I have been to Eastern Africa and they pay tribute to countries like Ghana, Guinea and Ivory Coast leading the process on good governance; unfortunately, now we who were the examples are retrogressing. We need to rise up to the occasion, the more reason why we have to get our MPs elected”, he said in an interview in Togo.
Again, he pointed that he shares in the dream of the Speaker Dr. Sidie Mohammed Tunis. “As the peoples’ representatives, we have to be elected by our people, do that and no one in the Executive arm of government can undo the peoples decision”.
ECOWAS is investing too much in Guinea-Bissau almost eight million dollars monthly on peace keeping operation for it to be stabilise; “then you have a president dissolving parliament is of concern”.
In an interview at a joint delocalised meeting in Togo, he pointed out that as a presenter at the meeting said, there is the need to have a cut law, there should not be ambiguity in there, things should be clear so that when it is being violated everyone would see that violation is being done.
He added that this is crucial “So that, no one runs between an ambiguity of a clause of a constitution dissolving a parliament, as it defeats the spirit of good governance. I do not know the reason leading to it but it’s just unfair”.
He added that in other parts of the world, government strengthens parliament as reference had been made, to the UK and French Parliament.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Lome-Togo
According to him, his only concern and reservation is that Committees are clustered together so you do not see specific Committee’s function; “I have not seen anything about our Committee”.
The joint committees of Public Account/Administration, Finance and Budget/Macroeconomic Policies and Economic Research/Trade, Customs and Free Movement ended its delocalised meeting yesterday on the theme, “The modalities for the practical implementation of Article 9and 11 of the Supplementary Act of the Parliament in respect of the consideration of the Community Audit Report”.
The conference was on the theme, “Africa and Europe in the Age of a new geopolitical rivalry and how to improve the bilateral cooperation”.
According to Ahmed the revenue accrued to the Community from all sources decreased by about 13 million UA (Unit of Account), representing 5 percent, from 257 million UA in 2019 to 244 million UA in 2020.
He further indicated that, “the Volta Regional House of Chiefs recently came to inspect what we have before asking to be independent and were shocked to see our facilities. This is why we’re thankful to our MP for his continues assistance in making this a reality.”
The reports are, the Ghana-Polytechnics for the period ended 31st December, 2018; the Pre-University Educational Institutions for the Financial Year Ended 31st December, 2018; the Management and Utilisation of District Assemblies Common Fund and other Statutory Funds for the year ended 31st December, 2018; and Accounts of District Assemblies (IGF) for the year ended 31st December, 2018 in the Greater Accra, Eastern, Oti and the Volta Regions.
Institutions cited in the Reports in these regions are as follows: Ho Technical University; Accra Technical University; Koforidua Technical University; and all Pre-University Educational Institutions in the Volta and Oti Regions.
“By the time the 6th Parliament of ECOWAS is sworn in, I hope the Authority of Heads of States and Governments and the Commission president and other institutions that matter in ensuring that we have ECO would work closely and ensure its implementation; that would be the best thing that would help all of use”, he said.
Furthermore, he emphasised the need for Heads of States to work with institutions in the member states to implement protocols to ensure that there are no hitches and is part of the reason why they are having a delocalised meeting for citizens of the Community to be well informed.
In an interview as to whether interrogating Article 9 and 11 of the Supplementary Act more especially when the current Speaker’s see the Committee as his flagship programme the effort is not coming a bit late, he said; “I agree with you that we cannot blame everything on COVID-19 we were having zoom meetings during the pick of the pandemic, its better late than never, for the next few days would not mark the end of our initiatives but would mark the strong start of and that every day the parliament would be committed to the issue of auditing.
“Most of the coups and overthrow of civilian governments have been attributed to mismanagement of resources; I am very convinced that if this aspect of our governance structure is addressed, then we can directly prevent some of the conflict situations”.
In an interview with Ghanamps.com, he thanked the current Speaker Dr. Sidie Mohammed Tunis for ensuring the Public Account Committee was established to bring issues of audit to the front burner so that it is seen as priority and not seen as less priority.
“We should have public hearing for different intuitions under ECOWAS and I am hopeful it would be captured in our next Ordinary Session which comes off May 24, 2022 and I am happy that we are having our meeting just before the Ordinary Session”, he said.