Nigeria’s Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has blamed inadequate cooperation in the fight of terrorism, trans-border crimes and implementation of regional agreements on the delay by the sub-region in giving powers to the ECOWAS Parliament.
Saraki told parliamentarians at the first ordinary session of the fourth legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Discussions centered on the need for deeper integration in the sub region as the solution for the enforcement of regional agreements and collaborative resolution of common problems.
Saraki said that the dreams of greater integration in the sub-region remains a myth until the Parliament has legislative powers.
He said that regional integration in the sub region would be far-fetched if the ECOWAS parliament is not given authority to legislate and have oversight power over common problems of the region.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Moustapha Cisse-Lo, also said that shallow regional integration exposes weak African countries to the risk of marginalization in the midst of globalization and heightened economic competition.
He regrets the effect of what he termed narrow-minded nationalism and destabilizing consequences on the region which slows integration and exposes the region to marginalization.
Issues before the ECOWAS Parliament include; the ECOWAS regional trade agreements and instruments, especially the common external tariff order, the free movement of persons across ECOWAS member states and the protection of human rights of citizens in the region.
