The first Deputy Speaker, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu is at the head of a seven-member delegation to Burkina Faso, attending the opening of the second ordinary session of their National Assembly.

The opening follows the sudden death of their previous President of the National Assembly, Dr. Salifu Diallo and the subsequent election of the current Speaker Bala Alhasane Sankade.

In his maiden speech, H.E Sankade pledged to continue with the policies of the late Dr. Diallo that sought to bring development to Burkina Faso. It also comes after the October 2014 rioting that led to the burning of the previous parliament.

Referring to that incident, the President of the Assembly stated that it was an indication that the youth will take matters into their hands if they felt that those in authority are not seeking their best interest.

He also spoke about the need to strengthen social dialogue and work to encourage social responsibility.

The opening is occurring at a time when there is tension all over the world, Threats of nuclear war is real and present. The President of the Assembly called on countries to discourage the proliferation of nuclear weapons and asked countries to protect their borders to avoid terrorist attacks.Special mention was made of women and children and other vulnerable groups and a call was made to government to protect them.

The 1st Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Hon Joseph Osei Owusu in a special address to the Assembly, urged the Burkina Faso legislators to ensure that laws passed reflect the needs and aspirations of the people they represent. This he said, requires the strengthening of the structures of governance to allow more citizen participation and to promote accountability.

The 1st Deputy Speaker indicated that like Ghana, Burkina Faso needs to eschew actions that will derail the good programmes of government.

He called on the two countries to take advantage of their close proximity and form closer trade and political ties that will inure to their mutual benefit.

The Ghanaian delegation is expected to hold further discussions on similar issues with their Burkinabe counterparts on Thursday before their return to Ghana.