By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Community Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States, otherwise known as ECOWAS Parliament ECOWAS has shut down subtle effort by selected interest groups
to legitimatize and smuggle ECOWAS Youth Parliament through the back door.
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The presentation by West Africa Youth Alliance for the establishment of ECOWAS Youth Parliament, at the ongoing parliamentary seminar of ECOWAS Parliament in Winneba Ghana, almost marred the high-level meeting.
The third Deputy Speaker, Madam Memounatou Ibrahima from Togo pointed out that the presentation has not come before the bureau.
The West Africa Youth Alliance was represented by Mary Onwu from Nigeria and supported by her colleagues from Ghana who were present for the presentation.
The third Deputy Speaker, said, she is not against the youth of the sub-region wanting to establish youth parliament; but it should be done properly, and not a few selected youth wanting to establish a parliament without taking into account the views of the entire sub-regional youth.
She argued: “If you want to succeed, you need to revisit the formation of this association and it should involve all members. You need to do it well”.
A Nigerian MP, Hon Awaji-Inombek Abiante, supported the protestation by the third Deputy Speaker, pointing out the need for proper housekeeping and self-auditing.
Hon. Abiante who represents Andoni/ Opobo–Nkoro federal constituency in Rivers State at the Nigerian Parliament, added that anything coming to the parliament should go through the proper channel.
The Leader of the Nigerian Delegation to ECOWAS Parliament and First deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase who was presiding over proceedings intervened and pleaded with his colleagues to let issue pass as they will deal with the it at a closed-door session.
He lamented that the whole drama was getting heated with each MP intervening not taking kindly to what was unfolding.
The youth group, however, expressed surprise at the way things had turn up, stressing that Dr. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament at the opening of the Seminar mentioned their presentation in his speech at paragraph ten.
The group quoted the Speaker as saying: “We must also be sensitive to the situation if young people in our society, who face poverty, barriers to education, many forms of discrimination as well as limited job prospect and opportunities, leaving them susceptible to engaging in anti-democratic initiative. In response to the growing understanding of the value of youth in building resilience and peaceful societies, especially across our region, the ECOWAS Parliament is collaborating with Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), led by Oxfam and its partners, including the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), and the West Africa Youth Alliance, to establish the ECOWAS Youth Parliament.
The establishment of the Youth Parliament, which is aligned with the ECOWAS Strategic Objective #5 building ECOWAS into a Community of People fully inclusive of Women, children and youth”, will facilitate the active participation of youths across the region in achieving the Community vision, in coordination with the ECOWAS Parliament”.
