President Muhammadu Buhari has reminded legislators of the ECOWAS parliament on the need to align their programmes to those of the founding fathers of the sub-regional body.
The President, who stated this at the opening session of the 2022 Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament, said that “the vision of the founding fathers of ECOWAS was to have a West Africa that is integrated economically with harmonized policies, enjoying free movement of persons, goods and services, as well as seamless right to establishment.
On the election of members of the ECOWAS Parliament by Direct Universal Suffrage, President Buhari strongly declared his support for the process, provided it is conducted with minimum or even at no cost at all, to the Community.
The Nigerian leader also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to ECOWAS efforts, with the support of partners, to keep the region peaceful, secure and politically stable, pledging that the country would continue to support the restoration of democratic rule in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
Citing upcoming elections in Sierra Leone and Liberia, President Buhari declared Nigeria’s readiness to stand by any country in the region that is committed to organising free and fair elections.
The President highlighted that the global economic downturn has deeply affected the economies of member-countries and resulted in dire economic hardships for the citizens of the Community.
In this context, the President urged the parliament to perform their sacred responsibility of considering the Community budget with diligence, conscious of the sacrifice of various countries in the payment of Community Levy.
President Buhari lauded the Organisation for evolving in many aspects, since its formation 47 years ago.
Meanwhile, he assured the parliament that the ground-breaking ceremony of the ECOWAS Commission’s headquarters in Abuja to be constructed by the Government of the Peoples Republic of China will take place on December 5, 2022.
