Afenyo-Markin calls for radical reforms of ECOWAS Parliament
A deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for radical reforms to reinforce the capacity of the bloc’s Parliament to meet the aspirations of the citizenry.
Advertisement
He said if leaders worked together with the ECOWAS Parliament, many of the teething socio-economic and political crisis unfolding in the region could be resolved.
“I think that ECOWAS Parliament will be the best mouthpiece of the community to tackle all these political issues that we are experiencing, with some member states saying they are opting out,” the Deputy Speaker added.
At the closing session of the plenary in Abuja on June 13,2024, Mr Afenyo-Markin, who chaired the sitting, said: “If we have a strong Parliament, it will give meaning to the community’s aspirations.
“This is because Parliament will demonstrate the capacity to deal with issues and Parliament will earn the trust of the people when it is out there.
“So, I think the time has come for us to put ourselves together and let the heads of authority know the real essence of Parliament to make a case,” he said.
Issues discussed
Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, mentioned the lack of awareness of what ECOWAS does, and synergy and collaboration as some of the issues that came up for discussion on the floor.
He said Parliament was not only created as an organ of ECOWAS to play a mere advisory role and as a deliberative chamber without powers. “Perhaps, what our principals have forgotten is that Parliament, being on the table, would necessarily lead to a speedy achievement of the objectives of the ECOWAS,” he said.
Other Trending Stories
Describing himself as a private sector person, Afenyo-Markin said until recently, he did not know many of the interventions that some development and financial institutions established by ECOWAS had for the ordinary citizens.
“There is a commission sitting somewhere and Parliament sitting somewhere and we are acting in silos. How do we work together,” he said.
Climate change
Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu in Ghana, told the plenary that climate change posed a serious threat to humanity and that its consequences affected “many aspects of our life”.
He also expressed concern over the lack of collaboration and coordination among heads of authority of the various organs of the bloc.
For instance, Mr Afenyo-Markin cited an example of how at a recent emergency meeting of ECOWAS heads of state, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament was not given the due recognition.
“Even the head of this assembly does not have a seat on the table; so, obviously when other commission heads, including the UN Special Envoy, were allowed to make statements, our Speaker did not have a voice on the table.
“Some radical reforms would have to be made in terms of the protocols and Parliament must lead that charge,” he added.