ECOWAS Parliament discusses Liberia

The ECOWAS Parliament opens its Fourth Second Ordinary Session with focus on Liberia’s current election disputes and other issues affecting the region on Tuesday November 21.

According a dispatch from Abuja, Nigera, Speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo in his welcome remarks also named the political situation in Togo, the reported issue of modern day slavery in Libya and the humanitarian situation of victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, among others.

The Speaker however talked about the ameliorating actions already taken as well as the planned interventions by the regional parliamentarians in such situations.

The Second Session which began on November 21, 2017 will end on December 9, 2017 during which time the regional parliamentarians will also consider the budget of the ECOWAS institutions and agencies, among others.

Welcoming parliamentarians, delegates and invited guests to the event, Speaker Lo also conveyed the hope of the Assembly that the adoption of the Supplementary Act on the enhancement of the Powers of the Parliament in December 2016, by the Heads of State and Government of the Community will continue to strengthen the Parliament towards achieving the dream of an ECOWAS of the people.

Speaker Lo also paid tribute to regional and parliamentary leaders for their outstanding contributions to the stability of the region and the evolution of regional parliamentarianism.

He made specific mention of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria. He also named other leaders, including Presidents Patrice Tallon of Benin , Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Issoufou Mahamadou of Niger, Roch March Christian Kabore of Burkina Faso, and Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali.