The 1st Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Right Honourable, Barau I. Jibrin has restated the commitment of ECOWAS Parliament to uphold peace and prosperity in the subregion.
Barau stated this in his speech at the closing of the Inaugural Session of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.
His words: ” This Session, which was convened in accordance with Article 28 of the Supplementary Act Relating to the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament, has marked the beginning of a new era for our revitalised Community Parliament. We are resolute in our mission to uphold peace and prosperity for the people of West Africa, and this session has provided us with the platform to launch this noble endeavour.”
He further stated: “At the onset of my remarks, permit me to extend, on your behalf, a heartfelt tribute to the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Republic of Nigeria. His unwavering leadership and profound interest in the ECOWAS Parliament were very instrumental in securing a smooth inaugural session of its sixth legislature.
“I also extend heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency Dr. Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, for his unwavering dedication that has led to the success of this session.
“May I, also, acknowledge the attendance of all our illustrious guests
whose esteemed presence made the occasion very colourful and elegant.
“I would also like to pay a warm homage to the immediate past Speaker of our Parliament, Right Honourable Dr. Sidie Mohamed TUNIS, whose wisdom and leadership kept our institution safe, progressive, and effective. We thank Dr. Tunis and all the Honourable Members of the 5th Legislature for their service to the Community and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
“As you all are aware, an integral part of the events that should have Characterized the inaugural session of the Parliament was the election of the Speaker. Unfortunately, that did not happen due to the absence of our brothers and sisters from Togo, who, by virtue of our Supplementary Act, should assume the speakership of the 6th Legislature. I seize this opportunity to express our solidarity with the Togolese Delegation and pledge the full support of this Parliament in insuring that the Togolese Representatives are inaugurated as soon as possible, which will ultimately lead to the election of new Speaker.
“Nevertheless, I extol the wisdom of this house and the processes that led to the election of the Four Honourable Deputy Speakers. The application of the Doctrine of Necessity was necessary to restore order to this house and uphold the sanctity of our cherished institution. I thank the Bureau of Age and the Honourable Speaker Pro-Tempore for exercising leadership and thank all the Honourable Members for supporting the process to the fullest. The action taken by this Parliament marks the beginning of what I foresee to be a united Parliament that speaks with one voice in the interest of our community.
“Honourable Members of the 6th Legislature, we will be counting on your efforts, contributions, and, above all, effective presence at our deliberations as we get things going. Your passion, dedication, and commitment to achieving the objectives of the Parliament will enable us to make ECOWAS an ECOWAS of peoples where peace and prosperity reign for all.
“I would also like to congratulate the selection committee, which worked hard to establish fourteen standing committees that are concise and balanced in language, gender, and nationality.
“Congratulations also, to the Committee on Drafting the Rules of Procedure of the Sixth Legislature, which will be our guide and guard for this new era.
“Our responsibilities are heavy, and we must be aware of them and remain totally faithful to our commitments. That’s why we need to work together with intelligence, rigour, and determination to meet the major challenges that lie ahead.
“In closing, may I express my sincere thanks to the Acting Secretary General of the Parliament, Mr Bertin SOME, and to all the staff members of the Parliament who have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of our work.
“As you can see, Honourable Members, the mission we have been assigned is enormous but very exciting because it involves putting ourselves at the service of the community to ensure its prosperity and emergence. As you well know, we have deliberately chosen to be on this front. So, let’s join forces beyond our differences to remain true to our commitments and make history with our term of office. Therefore, let us work resolutely to produce concrete and valuable results for ECOWAS.
“I thank you for your kind attention and wish you safe travels to your respective countries.”
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