ECOWAS Parliament ready to discuss 2020 Draft Budget, Condemn
Xenophobic Attack
Ifeanyi Valentine, Monrovia
The 2nd Extra
Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament has opened in Monrovia, capital of
Liberia with Speaker, Rt. Honourable Moustapha Cisse Lo expressing readiness of
Parliament to discuss the 2020 budget of the Community.
Speaker Cisse Lo who gave the indication
in his opening address said the agenda of the extra ordinary session was to
adopt Parliament's draft Budget, for 2020 financial year, as well as the
revision of Rule 13 of the Rules of Procedure of the Fourth Parliament devoted
to the Inaugural Session.
He said that in accordance with the
Parliament Rules of Procedure, and in the light of the budget circular of the
President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency Mr. Jean Claude Kassi BROU, an
Ad-Hoc Committee was set up to prepare a preliminary draft of Parliament's
Budget for the year 2020.
“The Report of the said Ad Hoc
Committee was transmitted and examined by the Bureau of Parliament at its last
meeting, held here in Monrovia. Parliament's
competent committee, in particular the Administration, Finance and Budget
Control Committee, after approval by Parliament, will be seized of the file and
will report to the Plenary;
“The ECOWAS Parliament, during
this session, will endeavour in accordance with its Rules of Procedure, to
examine and adopt the said Draft Budget. It is therefore this task that we will
be working on during this session” Cisse Lo stated.
He continued, “This is an
opportunity for each of us, honourable colleagues, to impose a rigorous
discipline on ourselves in order to examine the preliminary draft Budget 2020
carefully and objectively. I remain convinced that we will be diligent and
punctual, so that the full treatment of our agenda can be accomplished under
good and fruitful conditions” Speaker added.
Similarly, in his opening remark,
Speaker Cisse Lo condemned the Xenophobic attack on Nigerians in South Africa, as
it constitute real threats and serious issues, and has stand as obstacles to
the African integration that is so dear to Parliament and to which they are
resolutely committed.
“At the time of our session,
serious events are taking place on our continent and should be given special
attention. Indeed, in South Africa, in recent weeks, we have witnessed an
upsurge in extremely violent xenophobic acts. These sad images of Africa, these
painful events and the tensions they generate challenge us as elected
representatives of our peoples. We are extremely concerned and deeply outraged”
He said.
Furthermore, the Speaker on
behalf of ECOWAS Parliament, expressed compassion for the victims and their
families and strongly condemned these barbaric, inappropriate acts with
disastrous humanitarian, socio-economic and diplomatic consequences.
“The ECOWAS Parliament calls on
the South African authorities to assume their responsibility by guaranteeing
all their foreign nationals the right to life, physical integrity and free
movement. We also call on all African States and the African Union to adopt
diligent initiatives to restore peace and security and ensure a return to calm
in South Africa and all other States;
“In the same vein, the closure of
the Nigerian borders with Benin more than a month ago and Niger more recently
is a hindrance to the achievement of the Community's main objective, which is
to achieve the creation of a prosperous, borderless West African region where peace
and harmony prevail". Cisse Lo highlighted.
He added that the border closure
poses a threat to the implementation of the Protocol on the Free Movement of
Persons at a time when we need to intensify our efforts for the effective
abolition of barriers within the Community.
“The ECOWAS Parliament calls for
compliance with Community provisions and thus calls for the reopening of
borders and a coordinated fight against smuggling in the region;
“The root causes of this
recurrent situation must be studied with a view to finding a permanent solution”
Cisse Lo concluded.
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