Ecowas Parliament: As Ekweremadu Exits Amid Accolades -By Ismail Omipidan

Where will the current Nigerian political players and leaders be in 60 years from now? Not even the writer of this piece may likely to still be around then.

Interestingly, that is when Nigeria, as a country, will have the opportunity of producing another Speaker, to head the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Parliament. Senator Ike Ekweremadu has just completed his four-year tenure, as Speaker of the Community Parliament.

Ironically, following Senator Ekweremadu’s emergence as the Deputy President of the Senate, in June, last year, one of the strongest points being canvassed by those opposed to his emergence was that he was going to deny the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the opportunity of producing another Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament. But if they had done their home work well, they probably would have known that the position would not be available to Nigeria again, at the expiration of the Third Legislature of the Community, which officially lapsed on Thursday, February 4, 2016.

Before Ekweremadu’s emergence as the Speaker of the Parliament, in 2011, there was a power rotation arrangement, based on alphabetical order of the names of member States. Therefore, the journey, which Ekweremadu started, on behalf of Nigeria, on August 11, 2011, came to an end February 4, 2016. And until about 2076, before any other Nigerian could start another of such journey, on behalf of the country.

Interestingly, Ekweremadu’s tenure, as Speaker, ended with the Community, marking its 40th year of existence, just as the Fourth Legislature was inaugurated on the same occasion, with Hon. Moustapha Cisse Lo of the Republic of Senegal, emerging as the new Speaker, to lead the Fourth Legislature.

Delivering his valedictory speech, Ekweremadu described his tenure as Speaker, as one, which repositioned the Parliament. He described the adoption of the Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, as the greatest achievement of the Third Legislature of the Community Parliament, under his leadership.

This is even as he seized the opportunity to appeal to The Authority to have the Act signed into Law in earnest, so as to enable the Parliament exercise legislative powers and also carry out oversight functions.

Hear him: “By far, the most important objective and success recorded by the Third Legislature of the Community Parliament remains the adoption of the Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament by the Community Decision Making bodies.

“It is important to note that the Supplementary Act enjoyed the inputs of all necessary organs and institutions of the Community. On its part, ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government adopted the Act during its 46th Ordinary Session in Abuja on December 15, 2014”.

He was, however, quick to add that his only regret was that the Act was not signed into law during his tenure, adding that it was nevertheless “gratifying that we brought this age long quest from nothing to a point where this institution is just signatures away from evolving into a true Parliament.”

According to him, the ECOWAS Parliament remains the only regional parliament in the world, without legislative powers, adding that it was normal for regional legislative bodies to exercise legislative powers and carry out oversight functions.

While emphasizing the need for the Act to be signed into law, Ekweremadu further said: “From the European Union Parliament to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), which is a year younger than the ECOWAS Parliament, it is normal for regional parliaments to exercise legislative powers and carry out other fundamental functions of a parliament such as oversight function.

“For emphasis, today, the ECOWAS Parliament regrettably remains the only regional parliament anywhere in the world without legislative powers. This should be a big embarrassment and reproach to us as a sub-region.”

He also reiterated that the enhancement of the powers of the Community Parliament was in tandem with the fundamental principles of democracy, international best practices, the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, and the New Article 13 of the Supplementary Protocol.

He added: “It is common knowledge that true democratic governance rests on the tripod of the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary. The enhancement of powers is not for competition, but for the good governance of ECOWAS. It is to build strong institutions necessary for running a balanced and transparent ECOWAS. Importantly, it was the vision of our founding fathers to give expression to voices, challenges, and aspirations of the peoples of West Arica in a true and vibrant Parliament.”

Ekweremadu said his regime brought it closer to the people, by delocalizing Committee meetings in and outside the various capitals of the Member States, a thing, that saw the Parliament converging, for the first time, in its history, on a venue-Accra, Ghana, in 2012, outside Abuja, the seat of the Parliament, adding that “it was also been replicated in various Member States such as Praia and Dakar, taking into cognizance the three lingual blocks of the Community.”

Ekweremadu listed other major achievements of the Third Legislature of the Parliament, under his leadership to include the bequeathing of a befitting parliamentary complex, while also handing over a grant of about N1 billion, secured by him, for the construction of an office complex. He urged the new leadership to ensure that the grant was strictly used for the purpose for which it was received.

— Omipidan is the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy President of the Senate, and the immediate past Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu