News:
December 1, 2022
Member states of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) including Gambia, Benin and Senegal have started presenting their country reports on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at the ongoing Second Ordinary Session in Abuja Nigeria.
But a member of Ghana’s delegation to the Parliament, Mahama Ayariga in an interview with Ghanamps.com, ahead of the presentation of the report said it is about time ECOWAS allows its country representatives to present shadow country reports to help provide the true states of events in member states.
“I suggested that, we should begin to ask those country representatives to also send us shadow country reports; because if individual members cannot give us a truthful account of what is happening in their countries to pick up some early warning signals, our representatives should be able to do that”.
According to him country report presentation turns out to be dishonest because representatives presenting the various country reports, all create the impression that their countries are doing well, all because people from the various countries do not want to appear at an international forum to undermine their countries.
He pointed out that by this practice, when there is a problem ongoing in a member state, at least the country representatives appointed by ECOWAS can give alternative reports of each country. Again, the composition of lawmakers at the ECOWAS Parliament is made up of both the Majority and Minority side of their various member states.
“What we could do is to have the Majority and Minority present country reports, so that members have the opportunity of two set of reports, then we can decide as to who is being more truthful than the other”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com