A member of the Liberian delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Stephen J. H. Zargo has lauded efforts by the sub-regional bloc to return Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali who are currently under sanction because of military coup to constitutional rule.
Zargo who was speaking in an interview as a friend to the joint Committee to the Political Affairs, Peace, Security and APRM/Legal Affairs and Human Right also admitted that more work needs to be done with efforts to bring them back to constitutional rule.
The joint Committee met on Friday, May 19, 2023 to consider a draft agenda on the development in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali involving political situation in Senegal, which would be adopted at the plenary at the ongoing 2023 first Ordinary Session of the Community Parliament in Abuja Nigeria.
In addition, the Committee looked at election preparedness in member states going to the polls in 2023 including Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
Per the briefing received from Political Affairs directorate at the Committee level, Burkina Faso is making a lot of progress, “I am concerned about Guinea because they are close to Liberia and whatever happens there affects us in Liberia – proximity, culture and political, there are similarity”.
He further added that they have a lot more in common and pointed out that, ECOWAS needs to be more proactive; they do not need to wait for incidents to occur before they take action; “you spend less resources and time if you prevent it”.
Again, ECOWAS Parliament, Commission and Court needs to work together to ensure they nib the situations in the bad so that issue of coups can become a history.
“We should be in a new dispensation, coups should not be happening and there should be enabling environment so that everyone in the political arena would have their say, so that people do not feel disadvantaged and take the back door to do things they do as we talk about Guinea Burkina Faso and Mali”.
Mr. Stephen Zargo, noted that it’s time to look into the eyes of Presidents in the sub-region and tell them what you are doing is wrong especially those who want to elongate their term of office and gave the case of Guinea Conakry for instance.
“Didn’t we see it coming in the case of Guinea what Professor Alpha Code was doing? I don’t know if in Senegal, the President want to go for a third term or second term, I did not get an answer to that question from the Commission”.
And noted that he agrees to the suggestions that the problems we face as Africans are our own creations, as we need to call a spade a spade. “We need to look at the issues, tell the truth to our leaders”, he emphasised in an interview.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com
In line with its tradition of esteemed jury of note, the AAA announced its judges for the 2013 edition. They are: Former President of Mauritius, H.E. Dr. Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim; Cabinet Member for Community Safety,
According to him Speaker Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis should take responsibility for it as euphoria around the second week of the ongoing 2023 first Ordinary Session has been low according to his assessment of how the Session is going.
In an interview with Ghanamps.com he noted that the development is very worrying, and call for concern in the wake of increased terrorism and insecurity in the sub- region, saying they should devote their time and resources to discuss it.
He mentioned that, the electoral area within his catchment have benefitted from the MP’s hard work in the area of electricity, water, school blocks, employment and other social amenities. He asked the MP to expedite action on the completion of the road network from Amangoase to Atuntuma to consummate his achievements in the area before he retires from the legislative duties.
Hon. Isaac Kofi Marfo on his part beseeched the community to embrace education. He told the gathering that, education is the only way to get out of poverty; hence he pushes about 60 percent of all resources to that sector to ameliorate the plight of parents and teachers.
The Member of Parliament for Akim Oda constituency Mr. Alexander Akwasi Acquah in collaboration with Community FM has extoled mothers for nurturing and shaping the society.
“Again, we have a new system of conducting election in our County Proportional Representation which has made us busy. I came to the first Ordinary Session late, we have come and looked at the report, it is left with one more member to have a look at it, and when that is done we can present our country report”.
As to whether Sierra Leone is set to have incident free in the presentation of its Country report, judging from the drama that unfolded last year second Ordinary Session where Manly –Spaine Ajibola walked out of plenary because his input was not included in the Country report, Madam Veronical Kadie Sesay the only female among the delegation in an interview pointed out that there is no delay in the presentation of the Country report because they want everybody (all ECOWAS MPs) to make input.
“Because we do not want to face that ugly situation of last year again, when it was said that people walked out why because the leader of the delegation has been busy, he has now gone for running mate of the opposition”.
Again, Nigeria has just had election which is our big democracy in the sub region and what happened, the opposition that was aggrieved went to the court which is rule of law and we are asking other west African countries to follow and emulate the example of Nigeria.
Again, ECOWAS cannot come to Nigeria today and say you have to organise your elections again because it is being challenged, ECOWAS would have to follow the rules of member sovereign states.