May 20, (THEWILL) – The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has kicked off its 6th regional meeting billed to hold from May 20 to 25, 2024, in Kano State, with various member states attending.
The ECOWAS Parliament, also known as the Community Parliament, is one of the institutions of the ECOWAS. It is the Assembly of People of the Community, serving as a forum for dialogue, consultation and consensus for representatives of the people of West Africa, with the aim of promoting integration.
Addressing newsmen in Kano on Monday, the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Barau Jibrin of Nigeria, said the decision to hold the meeting in Kano was informed by the need to bring the members to the grassroots for them to truly feel the impact of the herculean task ahead of them.
Senator Jibrin who is also the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, spoke shortly after the opening of the Technical Session of the meeting at the Bristol Hotel, Kano, saying members of the Parliament need to know the people they are serving at the grassroots and the citizens also need to know them.
He said this is the first time this kind of meeting and sessions of the ECOWAS Parliament are taking place in Kano.
“It is in line with what we have said, we are here so that Kano will know ECOWAS Parliament and ECOWAS Parliament will know Kano.
“Kano is the centre of Commerce of the entire northern Nigeria. It is the political capital if you like, the political nerve centre of the entire Northern Nigeria.
“So, that is why we brought this session to hold here so that we can bring ECOWAS closer to the people so that people will know ECOWAS Parliament and ECOWAS Parliament will go deeper into our various societies,” he said.
Speaking further, Senator Jibrin said, “115 member states are supposed to be attending the Regional Legislative sitting in Kano, however, 3 members of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are not attending due to some reasons.”
He disclosed that each member state is guaranteed a minimum of 5 seats, while the remaining 40 seats would be shared based on population, with Nigeria having the highest share due to its population strength.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
