The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Moustapha Cisse-Lo, has warned the sub-regional body to ensure absolute consideration of the values and aspirations of component members, to avoid the risk of a similar case as Brexit referendum in the European Union.
It was the 2016 second ordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament and the focus was the consideration and adoption of the 2017 budget of the parliament.
However, some transnational issues such as the fight against terrorism, proliferation of arms and light weapons as well as legislative powers for the parliament were also up on the agenda.
As some members of parliament called for full legislative powers to be conferred on the parliament the Speaker of the parliament warned of a similar occurrence to Brexit in Africa.
Mr Cisse-lo said that the ECOWAS Parliament must deepen transnational cooperation to better tackle challenges of terrorism, trade and integration.
He argued that the ECOWAS Parliament, as an advisory body, seizes to be a parliament unless it is vested with full legislative powers.
The Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who addressed the parliament via video conference said that urgent attention is required to establish priorities and strategies for development.
Besides the 2017 budget for parliament, members would also be looking to deepen solidarity, collaboration and stronger integration for building and securing democracies, especially in the face of current turbulence and economic bad turns.
