News:
Rt. Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta
June 10, 2022
Rt. Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Gambia, has expressed his fullest support to have Community Parliamentarians elected through universal adult suffrage by citizens of Member States.
Speaking at the opening of the 2022 First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja Nigeria, he added that this would ensure that the Parliament assume its Legislative functions and perform effective oversight of ECOWAS Institutions and hold them accountable.
He is the latest, among many, to have thrown their weight behind the call since the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament; Rt. Hon Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis made the election of the Community lawmakers as his flagship programme.
He described the Community Parliament as one that can engender the agenda of ECOWAS of the People. But for the Parliament to deliver this reality to the ECOWAS Community, he advised that it must have the powers necessary to become an effective community institution.
“At a time when the world faces great uncertainty, with insecurity, economic recession, climate change and violent extremism threatening the collective future of humanity, that unity of purpose for a stable, peaceful, and progressive world order is more inevitable and compelling now than ever before”, he emphasised.
Aware of the collective ideals on which the ECOWAS was established, Speaker Jatta believes that Community Parliament is better situated and strategically positioned to deliver unity, peace, security, and prosperity to our sub-region.
“In your strive to achieve these goals, be rest assured that the National Assembly of the Gambia will be a reliable partner,” he told the Parliament.
Speaker Jatta, a former member of the Community Parliament, who had previously served as a National Assembly in the Gambia for 20 years, informed the Community Parliament that in the last six years The Gambia has conducted two Presidential and two Parliamentary elections, all of which were peaceful, free, and fair.
“In this regard, the Government, and People of the Gambia condemn in the strongest terms the unconstitutional seizure of political power through coup de tats which is threatening the very fabric of our society. This also includes those leaders who rely on support in Parliament to amend their constitutions to accord themselves extended term limits against the will of their people.”
On the issue of violent extremism, the Rt. Hon Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta called for all hands to be on deck to fight the menace.
Ghanamps.com