NIGERIAN NEWS BLOGGERS

The federal government has declared Monday, December 27, Tuesday, December 28, and Monday, January 3, 2022, as public holidays to mark Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day celebrations respectively. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government Wednesday, felicitated with Christians and all Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on this year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations. Mr Aregbesola enjoined Christians to practice the doctrines of Jesus Christ, which include but are not limited to these – faith, hope and love. “We must emulate the life of Jesus Christ in His practice and teachings on Humility, Service, Compassion, Patience, Peace and Righteousness, which His birth signifies. This will be the best way to portray Christ and celebrate his birth” a statement signed by the permanent secretary, interior ministry, Shuaib Belgore, on Wednesday said. Mr Aregbesola said that peace and security are two critical conditio...

Prof. Attahiru Jega, Former Chairman, Independent National Election Commission (INEC), Nigeria has said that an overhaul of the electoral system in ECOWAS Member States is critical in achieving credible, free and fair elections in the sub-region. Jega made this known during a Technical Session at the ongoing High-level Parliamentary Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament on Thursday in Winneba, Ghana. According to him, independence, relative autonomy, integrity of the electoral body with a good legal framework will bring the desired reforms in the electoral process of ECOWAS countries for good governance. Jega said that achieving credible elections also requires the collaboration of all stakeholders, adding that the electoral body alone cannot not succeed in delivering credible elections if other sectors are compromised. “When we examine the conduct of elections in the last two decades in ECOWAS Member States, we can see some progress that has been made but obviously there are lots o...

Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament have called for urgent actions from the Community’s Institutions to stop the trend distortion of democratic rule in Member States. The Members of Parliament made the call on Wednesday during the technical section of the ongoing High-level Parliamentary Seminar in Winneba Ghana. The parliamentary Seminar with the theme “Two Decades of Democratic Elections in ECOWAS Member States: Achievements, Challenges, Challenges and the Way Forward” seeks to proffer solutions to electoral inconsistencies in Member States. Hon. Laadi Ayii Ayamba, a Member of Parliament from Ghana who lamented the situation said ECOWAS has the solutions to the problems but needs to put in political will and affirmative actions. According to Ayamba, the situations in Mali and Guinea could have been averted if ECOWAS was proactive. “To me, it was a shame when ECOWAS went to Guinea for mediation when an action could have been taken w...

The Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Sidie Mohammed Tunis has warned that the community risks being perceived as a body of failed states over rising coups, tenure elongations and undemocratic constitutional amendments. The Speaker said this at his opening address at the high-level parliamentary seminar on 20 years of democratic elections in West Africa in Ghana’s coastal city of Winneba on the theme: Evaluating Two Decades Of Democratic Elections In The ECOWAS Region: Achievements, Challenges And The Way Forward.” Tunis said that while governments in the region condemn coups, it is important that they give serious attention to the new phenomenon of amending the constitution of a state before an election or before the expiration of the tenure of an incumbent President. “Amending a constitution to conform to current realities is not in itself a problem. When the proposed amendments to the constitution protect the governing elite at...

The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has appointed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana to champion its drive to achieve direct election of members into the parliament. The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sidie Mohammed Tunis made the announcement during his opening address at the high-level parliamentary seminar on 20 years of democratic elections in West Africa in Ghana’s coastal city of Winneba on the theme: Evaluating Two Decades Of Democratic Elections In The ECOWAS Region: Achievements, Challenges And The Way Forward.” Tunis said one of the cardinal objectives of the current legislature is to achieve the election of members into the ECOWAS Parliament by direct universal suffrage. He noted that despite restrictions and difficulties associated with executing normal activities, occasioned by the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Parliament was able to kick start the process last year. Article 18 of the Supplementary Act provides that Repres...

The Speaker of Ghana Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has called on the Community Parliament to address concerns regarding mobile roaming services in the sub-region so as to achieve achieve regional development through the use of Information and Communication Telecommunication tools. He note that the sub-region can only achieve regional development by ensuring that the Regulation on Roaming on Public Mobile Communications Networks in the ECOWAS Space, which was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 16th December 2017 is implemented. Furthermore, the Honouable Speaker of Ghana Parliament strongly observed that most of the ECOWAS nationals who travel to other countries in the sub region have to pay higher premiums on mobile usage, while others have to change their sim cards to have access to the network available in their new destination. He made these observations, today, Tuesday, July 27, 2021 during the opening session of the de-localised meeting of the Jo...

With the increase of violent extremism and terrorism, humanitarian crises and global pandemics across ECOWAS member State, The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament Right Honourable sidie Tunis challenged Parliamentarians and government of Member State on the need to harness the merits of the latest technological advancements, innovations and intelligence as viable tools to curb insecurity. The ECOWAS Speaker gave the challenge in his remarks, at the opening ceremony of the de-localised meeting of the Joint Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Legal Affairs and Human Rights and Telecommunications and Information Technology of the ECOWAS Parliament, holding at Winneba, Ghana, from 27 – 30 July, 2021. He argued, evidence shows that societies mired in violent conflict are often characterized by lack of development and shortage of economic opportunities. “So, we must strive for the return of peace in our region as it remains the key com...