News:
June 3, 2019
The First Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Parliament for this year ended on Saturday the 1st of June 2019 in Abuja Nigeria.
Speaker of the Community Parliament Mustapha Cisse Lo cautioned lawmakers he would no longer tolerate the practice of MPs coming to sign for their per diem and vanishing from the session.
“We did say MPs needed to be here, as I deliver the closing speech today it is part of our programme, to some extent a review of our work once we are through with the closing there would be no debate”.
According to the Speaker he gave instructions for Members of Parliament to sign the attendance list and it is mandatory because if there is no one at the session there would be no plenary session.
And I have taken far reaching decisions and this would be adopted by the bureau those who would not be here would not have the right to any claim for per diem which would be adopted by the bureau.
As this would determine the mode of payment and for the good operations of the Parliament, people would have to be here, he emphasis.
“I am the First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in Senegal, also President of the chamber of commerce in my working relations as an economic operator I spend the whole month here people leave and they sign and take money”.
He further pointed out that there is the need to put an end to the practice, “I am not going to tolerate this anymore let us be clear in our minds on this issue we can’t be into this gymnastics”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Abuja