News:
November 26, 2019
A member of the Nigerian delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Foster Ogola has said election of lawmakers to represent a constituency from their home country to the community Parliament would help address absenteeism.
According to Senator Ogola, the current arrangement makes things difficult for lawmakers within the community parliament, as they have to balance work in their various National Assembly and the community Parliament.
“The complain has always been against Nigerian lawmakers for not attending session, but whiles the community Parliament is working here, we have very important sessions also going on in our National Assemblies like in my country”, he stated.
He made this known in an interview in the wake of the Speaker of the Community Parliament, H. E. Mustapha Cisse Lo lamenting over absenteeism, and expressing reservation about lawmakers from host country Nigeria not attending the session.
Mr. Ogola further noted that ECOWAS Parliament should go by the Council of Heads of States’ suggestion where the country’s with representation should have a constituency to represent them so that they can dedicate and devote their time and not have divided attention
According to him, the European Parliament is doing something near that, and it would be good for the community parliament to go that way, where we have an electoral organisation responsible for that.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com