ECOWAS Parliament will break language barriers - Mills

Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills today urged delegates to the just-ended First Conference of Speakers of West African Parliaments to examine the potential benefits and practical considerations related to the implementation of a West African Parliament.

Professor Mills, who was addressing the closing session of the conference, said, by so doing, governments in the sub-region would be enabled to look beyond their boundaries, cutting across traditional kinship and rise above language barriers.

Prof. Mills pointed out that, when established, a West African Parliament will provide "the key to circumventing the factors that have slowed down the realisation of the full potential of ECOWAS".

He told the speakers that in the process of making their respective parliaments and national assemblies function successfully, they would be contributing immensely to peace, democracy and the rule of law in their countries.

The Vice-President made it clear that the success of a West African Parliament would depend largely on the popular support and understanding of ordinary citizens, the knowledge and skills of experts, and the diplomacy and leadership of its politicians.

After 24 years of the existence of ECOWAS to promote integration in the sub-region, obstacles to the free movement of peoples and goods, as well as immigration problems still stared it in the face.

This is making it highly impossible for the community to bring its programmes of integration closer to the people.

The development of multi-party parliamentary democracy in the sub-region had been uneven and, at times, descended into civil strife, Prof Mills said.

"At times, it has become necessary to use drastic means to steer our nations firmly back onto the track of our ideals."

Delegates from 12 of the 16 ECOWAS member-states and the Union of African Parliaments Secretariats attended the three-day conference.

Nigeria was there as an observer.

The conference, with the theme "ECOWAS - The Parliamentary Dimension",

aimed at strengthening parliamentary democracy and fostering inter-regional and sub-regional co-operation among member-countries.

During the period, the delegates, deliberated on pertinent issues bordering on the setting up of a West African Parliament.

It was generally agreed that the next conference be held in Burkina Faso.