Joint Committee To Propose Amandment Of Supplementary Act

There are indications that the joint committee on Administration, Finance, Budget, Public Accounts, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research will lobby heads of states of the ECOWAS to effect changes on the supplementary act to enable them have full legislative authority.

Having full legislative authority to act was tops on the agenda of the committee at the ongoing delocalised meeting in Abidjan.

Reacting at the end of a lecture by the ECOWAS Commissioner of Internal Services, Prof. Abdullahi Darma, the Chairman of the joint committee, Honourable Benjamin Kalu, explained that it will be a waste of time and resources if they convened without a tangible recommendation that would stand the test of time at the end of the process.

He promised to lead the lobby team to heads of state if need be so as to get the work done and promote transparency and accountability in the region.

Earlier in his presentation, the ECOWAS Commissioner of Internal Services, Prof Abdullahi Darma, had opined that unless there is a direct election, the parliamentarians may never have the full legislative authority they seek.

He revealed that member states are yet to pay levies to the tune of over 600 million USD this he says, hinders productivity and the drive for transparency and accountability.

Other parliamentarians including the speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Memounatou Ibrahima, who was in the meeting on observer status, reechoed the need for more legislative power to enable them reach the people through the goal of the ECOWAS Agenda 2050.