Parliament opens in Abuja, ready to receive 2019 budget

H.E MOUSTAPHA CISSÉ LO

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

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Solving G5 Sahel security threats key to peace in WA

-Cisse Lo

ECOWAS Parliament

Speaker, Rt. Hon. Moustapha Cisse Lo has said that solving security threats in West Africa was greatly dependent on tackling the insecurity in the Sahel region. Speaking at a media interview on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Second Ordinary Session of the Parliament, Speaker Cisse Lo said that West Africa actually has to support the G5 Sahel in tackling the insecurity in the country. He said that although Parliament would be sitting mainly to consider the Community budget, it would also pass a Resolution on the Sahel region. “Most of the countries in the G5 Sahel are Members of ECOWAS as well and so there is no

competition. We cannot solve the security problems in West Africa within ECOWAS if we don’t solve the problem that is around the G5 Sahel area. We are going to have a Resolution urging the Heads of State to support the G5 Sahel Region,” he stated. The G5 Sahel is an institutional framework for coordination of regional cooperation in development policies and security matters in West Africa.

“ We cannot solve

the security problems in West Africa within ECOWAS if we don’t solve the problem that is around the G5 Sahel area.

It was formed on 16 February 2014 in Nouakchott, Mauritania, at a summit of five Sahel countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. It adopted a Convention on the establishment on 19 December 2014, and is permanently seated in Mauritania. The coordination is organized on different levels. The military aspect is coordinated by the respective countries’ Chiefs of Staff. The purpose of G5 Sahel is to strengthen the bond between economic development and security and together battle the threat of jihadist organizations operating in the region

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Niger Speaker Addresses Parliament,charges MPs on Fast-trackingECOWAS integration Agenda

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Niger, Rt Hon. Ousenni Tinni

has charged the ECOWAS Parliament to continue its push for the actualization of regional integration in West Africa. As the special guest of honour, Speaker Tinni gave this charge in his address to Members of Parliament at the opening ceremony of the 2018 2ndOrdinary Session of the Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria. Whilst challenging the Parliament on the need to fast-track the integration agenda, he opined that ECOWAS ought to have actualized its regional integration goals after 43 years of existence. He further stressed that integration had become an absolute necessity in the drive against poverty and misery in West Africa, sounding his displeasure at the low level of intra-Community trade which currently stood at 15%. “I hope we are going to remove all obstacles to the movement of people and goods and avoid all humiliations at the borders.We should be able to banish long queues and checkpoints in crossing borders to another West African country”, the Niger Speaker stated. In continuation, he added that “We must have a voluntary attitude to get a common currency. African free trade is bringing about 2.5 trillion dollars, making it the largest free trade zone in the world. All signatories should ratify the free trade so that people, labour and capital can move freely. We don’t just have to bring countries together but we must unite the people. This is a challenge to the Parliament, to enhance the power of your Parliament to legislate on the wishes of the people”. Speaker Tinni commended the ECOWAS Parliament for the many roles it had played in peace-building within the sub-region, recalling specifically how the Community used its troops to instill peace in Niger Republic. He however implored Parliament to get involved in the fight against new scourges of terrorism and illegal migration, while pledging the support of the G-5 Sahel towards actualizing peace in the Subregion.

“ Africa free trade is bringing about 2.5 trillion dollars, making it the largest free trade zone in the world ”

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THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

Parliament opens in Abuja, ready to receive 2019 budget

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

The 2nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament has opened in Abuja with Speaker, Rt. Honourable Moustapha Cisse Lo expressing readiness of Parliament to receive and consider the 2019 budget of the Community. Speaker Cisse Lo who gave the indication in his opening address said the agenda of the session was mainly for the consideration of the Community Budget in accordance with Articles 7 and 17 of the Supplementary Act relating to the enhancement of the powers of the ECOWAS Parliament. “We are waiting till date to officially receive the draft budget, which will be considered by the Administration and Finance Committee, with the hope that we will get it within the statutory deadline prescribed by the Regulation of the Council of Ministers”. He assured that the Parliament would accord expeditious attention to the budget when it is presented saying “I would like to reassure the Committee and all the ECOWAS Institutions that the Parliamentarians will, once again, carefully consider the budget with a view to adopting a

document, which with proper implementation will enable the achievement of the regional sustainable development goals”. According to him, “As a tool for managing and quantification of the Community integration policy for the year 2019, the Community budget, more than any other text, will have to properly enlighten us on the projected trajectory of our Organisation during the year under review and this will attest to our commitment to give concrete meaning to the development actions resulting from the implementation of the Community Programmes”. He noted that the Community budget must commit towards “The determination to maintain a healthy macro-economic framework, aimed at guaranteeing a harmonious and sustainable development for our regional space, meeting the essential and vital needs of the people, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, to mention but a few. “It is in the light of these criteria that the Parliamentarians would have to consider the draft submitted for their approval”, he assured.

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ECOWAS Heads of State to take final decision on Morocco’s Membership at Next Meeting

Speaker Cisse Lo, in his opening address to

Plenary of the 2nd Ordinary Session of 2018, disclosed that the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS will take afinal decision on Morocco’s membership of the subregion.He said that a final decision on the application ofmorocco would be made at the upcoming summit ofthe Heads of States whose exclusive preserve it is todecide on the membership of any country.The Speaker also recalled that the Heads of Stateconstituted a committee to consider the issues thatmay impact on the economies of Member States ifMorocco is admitted into ECOWAS, with a view tomaking necessary recommendations to the Authority.“How the Community resolves this tension will havesignificant implications for the future peace, securityand stability of ECOWAS as a regional institutionand of its Member States as they confront the sharedchallenge of stemming radicalization in the Sahel,” headded.He further stated that a 66-paged document has beenproduced to that effect, which has been made public,while there is anticipation that the final decisions ofthe Heads of State will be made at the next meeting ofthe Authority of Heads of State and Government.It should be recalled that the quest by Morocco tojoin ECOWAS has been a subject for varied debatesbetween proponents and opponents.

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

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THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

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ECOParl to monitor Nigeria, Liberia’s general election

The ECOWAS Parliament is to increase

the number of parliamentarians in the observation and monitoring of elections within the sub region, SpeakerMoustapha Cisse Lo has said.The Speaker, who disclosed this in his openingaddress at the 2nd Ordinary Session of theECOWAS Parliament holding in Abuja, alsoinformed that the Parliament will be activelyinvolved in the monitoring of next year’s generalelections in Nigeria and Liberia.According to the Speaker, a provision has beenmade in the budget to take care of electionmonitoring by parliamentarians saying “This iswhy we have, in agreement with the ECOWASCommission, decided to include a budget line forelection monitoring in the 2019 budget.“With this decision, the number of Parliamentarianson the observer missions will be strengthened, butmaintained only in the ECOWAS observer corps”.The Honourable Speaker noted that “the firstquarter of the year 2019 will, without doubt, beaffected by the general elections in Nigeria and

Senegal. I wish all the Parliamentarians concernedby the general and legislative elections, all the best”.He stressed that “the role of Parliament in monitoringthese elections will be crucial in strengtheningdemocracy and establishing the credibility of theelections.“This is because a Parliamentarian is the best-placedperson to monitor elections because it is throughelections that he/she exercises his/her mandate”, hestated.He added that “This session is opening against thebackdrop of the electoral fever in Nigeria, our hostcountry, which is about to organise its general,presidential and legislative elections in February2019 to elect the President of the Republic andmembers of the National Assembly.“The 35 members of the delegation of Nigeria toECOWAS are fully engaged and involved in thiselectoral process and I wish them good luck. Letme tell you that we do understand the concern ofthe members of this delegation, but in view of theimportance of the budgetary session, they must notuse that as an excuse for absenteeism”, the Speakerconcluded.

“ The role of Parliament in

monitoring these elections will be crucial in strengthening democracy and establishing the credibility of the elections. ”

Guinea Records Success in Child Protection Rights

Guinea’s 5-Member delegation to the

ECOWAS Parliament has disclosed that efforts by the Guinean government at protecting the rights of children have recorded some level of successes.

Its Country Report presented to Plenary of the 2nd Ordinary Session indicated that the feat was recorded following the creation of a division for the Protection of Children.

The Report presented by Hon. Hadja Nantenin Konate on behalf of her colleagues stated that following the creation of the division, the Member State recorded “Considerable reduction in cases of rape, disappearance, abduction of children and abandoned babies”.

It, however acknowledged, the input of development partners such as the UNFPA, UNDP amongst others in Guinea’s improvement on promotion of child Rights.

Reacting to the concern raised by MPs on the issue of female genital mutilation in Guinea, a member of the delegation said that apart from partnering with Civil Society Organizations to raise awareness and fight female genital

mutilation, Guinea has introduced various programs and projects to empower women who are in the business of genital mutilation so they can gainfully engage in other forms of economic activity.

While noting that the practice of genital mutilation, apart from having a strong tie with tradition, is also a source of revenue to those who carry out the act, the MP said, “We need to bring women together, identify projects that would make them drop their knives”.

Another area of child’s rights protection wherein the Member State has recorded progress, according to the Report, concerns refugees and stateless persons. The Report noted that while there are a growing number of stateless persons in Guinea, the government in the new Draft Revised Civil Code, has made provisions that would allow such persons to obtain the nationality of Guinea.

Hon. Konate highlighted that, “In Guinea, nearly 8,000 Liberian, Sierra Leonean and Ivorian refugees live in the country, many of who prefer to stay despite the end of the crises, claiming they have valid reasons not to return to their country”.

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

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THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

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THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

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Budget: Speaker Cisse Lo seeks harmonization with Commision on procedures

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

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Speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo has tasked the ECOWAS Commision and the Administration and Finance Committee ( AFC) saddled with the responsibility of preparing the Commission’s budget to be proactive and avoid delays in approvals. Speaking while declaring open the 2nd Ordinary Session, he warned that the Parliament should not be held responsible for the delay in the passage of the Community budget. He said “coming back to the subject of our session, which is dedicated to the Community budget, I would like to express a wish and an appeal to the management of the ECOWAS Commission and the AFC to work towards harmonising the schedule of activities of the Commission/AFC/Parliament. “As you know, the budgeting process begins with the signing of the budget circular by the President of the ECOWAS Commission. “This year just like last year, the circular was not signed on time to enable Parliament to comply with its internal procedure on Budget preparation”. Continuing, the Speaker said, “I would like to draw the attention of the parties involved in budgeting, to Regulation Number C/REG.17/06/17 of 1st June 2017 on the schedule for the consideration and adoption of the Community budget. “The regulation prescribes the following relevant

provisions that would lead to the adoption of the budget by the Council of Ministers: The draft budget shall be submitted for the consideration of AFC, before 30 October”. He continued “The AFC shall consider the budget in the last week of October; The President of the ECOWAS Commission shall send the report of AFC and the Community Budget not later than two days after the AFC meeting; The opinion of Parliament shall be forwarded to the Council of Ministers not later than 15 days before the session of Council of Ministers”. “I felt obliged to recall all these provisions because I have found myself once more in a context of parliamentary oversight, which involves ensuring that the texts promulgated by the Community are strictly applied. I would therefore like to, once more, draw the attention of the President of the ECOWAS Commission to this matter in order for Parliament to play its role within a reasonable time frame. I am sure that you will very well understand that Parliament cannot be held responsible for delays in convening statutory meetings” the Speaker added. He therefore called for logical ammendment of the relevant provision in line with the reality, so as to avoid the delays in buddget processes.

Sangaré exits Parliament, appointed Minister in Mali

A member of the ECOWAS Parliament, Honourable Yaya Sangare of the Republic of Mali has been appointed as the Minister of African Integration and Malians in the Diaspora.

Rt. Hon. Speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo announced this in his welcome address at the ongoing 2nd Ordinary Session of the Parliament in Abuja.

While on the announcment, the Speaker said, “As I mentioned earlier, during our extraordinary session in Abidjan, I have the pleasure to announce to you the appointment of our colleague Yaya Sangaré, former Chairman of the Committee on Political Affairs, Peace andSecurity, to the post of Minister of African Integration and Malians in the Diaspora”.

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

“Consequently, the Honourable Member has sent his resignation letter to me, in accordance with the provisions of the Supplementary Act and Rules of Procedure of the Parliament”. Spekaer Cisse Lo extended a hearty congratulations to the out-gone member and explained to the Plenary that his replacement is being awaited through the appropriate channels as his position was still vacant at the time.

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New MP Sworn into the 4th Legislature

A new Member of Parliament Hon. Youssouf Aya (Mali) was sworn in, 15 November, 2018 at the opening of the 2nd Ordinary Session of the Fourth Legislature at the Seat of Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria. The newly sworn in MP replaced the former

Chairman of the Committee on Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Hon. Yaya Sangaré (Mali) who sent in his written resignation to Speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo, announcing his appointment as Mali’s Minister of African Integration and Malians in the Diaspora.

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

ECOWAS Parliament loses MP

The death was announced in Plenary, of

Hon. Embunhe Encada at the age 79, a member of ECOWAS Parliament, serving in the Committee on Labour, Employment, Youth, Sport and Culture. Announcing his passing, Speaker Cisse Lo said “on 21 October 2018, it has pleased the Almighty God to take unto Himself, our colleague, Honourable Embunhe Encada at the age of 79. He was a Member of the ECOWAS Parliament since the 1st Legislature. He was before his death, a member of the Committee on Labour, Employment, Youth, Sport & Culture”. “Though we knew that he was sick, we were expecting to meet him again during the session but God decided otherwise. May His name be magnified”. Meanwhile, the Plenary observed a one-minute silence in honour of the deceased.

Honourable

Embunhe Encada

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Morocco’s admission into ECOWAS will be a landmark event… Cisse Lo

Speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo has said the

impending admission of Morocco as a member of the Economic Communityof West African States (ECOWAS) will mark a watershed moment in the history of the sub region.

The Speaker, who made this observation in his opening address to Plenary in Abuja, disclosed that the Authority of Heads of states and Governments would decide on Morocco’s application at its meeting on December 16, 2018.

According to the Speaker, “The political event that will be a landmark in our Community Organisation will remain, without doubt, the accession of Morocco to ECOWAS,” adding that the upcoming summit of the Heads of State in December 2018 at Abuja, will take a final position oon the matter.

regional Community organisation”.

It is worth recalling that the meetings are innovative and relevant diplomatic initiatives,“ The political event that will be a landmark in our Community Organisation will remain, without doubt, the accession of Morocco to ECOWAS

”which attests to the continued commitment of

the ECOWAS Parliament to the integration and prosperity of Africa, as well as the peace and unity of the continent.

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

He added that “Its acceptance will mark the opening of a new era in the achievement of the objectives of opening and integrating the

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Cote d’Ivoire: Wife of former president, 800 others Receive Pardon

Source: www.guardian.ng

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

In a bid to further drive its peace process, Cote d’Ivoire Country Report to Plenary specified that the Member State has pardoned all parties involved and convicted for post electoral violence in the country. Among those pardoned was Simone Gbagbo, wife of the former President Laurent Gbagbo who is currently being held at a detention facility of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Country Report also indicated that Cote d’Ivoire has set free about 800 others who were either already convicted or facing trial. “As part of the reconciliation process, the President, His Excellency Alassane Ouattara, granted presidential pardon on Monday, 6 August, 2018 to close to 800 persons convicted or facing prosecution in the aftermath of the 2011 post electoral crisis in cote d’Ivoire, including Simone Gbagbo, the wife of the former President, who is

currently imprisoned at the detention centre of the International Criminal Court”, the Report stated. Commenting further on political developments in the Member State, the Report added that “The President has also announced a reshuffle in the composition of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and that municipal and regional elections had already been conducted in the country on 13 October, 2018. It stated that the results were declared three days after the polls. “The RHDP topped the polls for both elections, winning 46% of the votes and 92 communes. It was followed by the PDCI, former ally of the RHDP, which won 28% of the votes and 50 communes. It should be recalled that both parties did not present candidates throughout the country. The RHDP was present in 180 communes and the PDCI in about one hundred communes. The Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI) won two communes”, the Report concluded.

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Guinea is most stable nation in West Africa - MP Daffe

A Member of Parliament from the Republic of Guinea, Honourable Hadja Aissata Daffe has stated that Guinea is the most peaceful and stable country in the West African sub-region.

Daffe, who stated this while reacting to observations and interventions by MPs, emanating from the presented Guinea’s Country Report, explained that Guinea is the only country with no records of any terrorist attacks as well as the only country that receives millions of people coming from troubled nations. I believe that Guinea can’t be tagged a restless country”, she stated.

The MP argued that some of the little internal unrest that Guinea had experienced was occasioned by its relatively nascent democratic experience, which was a learning curve for its citizens.

“Guinea is a peaceful country but because democracy is new, there are a few conflicts

because we are learning. But this is a country where nobody has taken up arms against the state”, she explained.

Reacting to the questions raised on why the Mayors who were elected a long time ago have not been sworn in, Daffe explained that “there are 342 Mayors but the opposition has appealed for 12 of them and because of this the government decided to invite them for consultation and reconciliation”.

She bemoaned the inheritance of poorly trained Police by the government of Alpha Conde; a situation that was responsible for the “police brutality and other human rights violation”.

Justifying government’s ban on protests, Hon. Daffe explained that “these protests are sometimes infiltrated by bandits and when a criminal dies, the opposition would claim it is their member, even when he does not have a membership card”.

THE 2ND ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS PARLIAMENT

Cote d’Ivoire Reports eight percent economic growth

In spite of trade shocks and social tensions,

the Economy of Cote d’Ivoire is currently growing at 8%, a figure representing 0.4 increment from the 2017 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth figure which stood at 7.6%.

This was made known to the 2nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in the Country Report presented to Plenary by its delegation to Parliament.

The Country Report indicates that during the period under review, inflation remained moderate. Specifically, it stated that “Budget deficit was contained at 4.5% of GDP in 2017. Inflation is low thanks to a fixed exchange rate regime due to the country’s membership of the Franc Zone.

It stood at 0.5% in 2017, against 1.2% in 2016 and 0.4% in 2015. Average inflation rate at the end of August 2017 stood at 1.7% below the Community convergence threshold of 3% set by the ECOWAS.

“Budget deficit reached 4.5% of GDP in 2017 and is expected to meet the UEMOA regional convergence criterion of 3% of GDP in 2018. This anticipates large public investment and tax revenues lower than expected”, it further stated.

On taxation, it indicated that the country had employed three mechanisms to reduce the tax burden rate by improving the collection. It added that the banking system had underpinned economic growth as bank credit to the economy increased tremendously by about 20%.

The Report also revealed that “Cote d’Ivoire’s public debt increased from 8.8467 trillion CFA Francs, representing 13.5 billion in 2017 against 8.1566 trillion in 2016. In July, the government indicated that debt ratio had risen from 42.1% to 42.6% of GDP following the Eurobonds of 625 million Euros and 1.25 billion USD, totalling 1.14 trillion CFA Francs or 1.74 billion Eruos”.

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Guinea Tackles Poverty, Youth Unemployment

Faced with the devastating effect of the twin

problem of poverty and youth unemployment, the Guinean government has initialed programs and policies aimed at expanding the business opportunities in the Member State as well as increasing private sector participation. This was indicated in the Country Report presented to Parliament in Plenary by Guinea’s delegation of MPs to the ECOWAS Parliament. The Country Report showed that the country made the move to arrest the issues which “has attained an increasingly worrying proportion in Guinea, despite enormous efforts by the Guinean government and its technical and financial partners”. According to the Report, one of such moves is the program PNDES (2016-2020), aimed at increasing the capture of the added-value derived from the processing of abundant raw materials in the country. Others, it noted, include the construction of Ecoles Regionales des Arts etMeitiers, the productive social net project, the project to boost youth skills (BoCeJ), and the creation of special economic areas. It also disclosed that the Guinean government has expressed the desire to improve the business climate and promote the private sector. “Several projects and programs are being carried out or underway as part of the improvement of the process of professional integration of young people and women in particular”, the Report stated.