Godswill Akpabio’s Deputy, Barau Jibrin has been appointed as the acting Speaker of the Sixth Legislature of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament.
Barau, who leads the Nigerian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, assumed the position during the inaugural session held in Abuja on Thursday.
His nomination as the 1st Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament was made by Rep Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante and seconded by Senator Ireti Kingibe.
As per the rotational system established by Decision A/DEC. 6/06/06 of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, the Speakership of the Sixth Legislature was designated to the Republic of Togo. However, due to the absence of the Togolese delegation during the inauguration, a Speaker Pro-tempore, Edwin Melvin Snowe JR, a Liberian, was elected.
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Snowe JR presided over the inaugural session and announced Senator Barau as the acting Speaker, pending the inauguration of the Togolese delegation.
Other deputy speakers elected during the session were Honourable Adjaratou Traore Coulibaly (Cote D’ Ivoire) as 2nd Deputy Speaker, Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin (Ghana) as 3rd Deputy Speaker, and Honourable Billay G Tunkara (Gambia) as Fourth Deputy Speaker.
The opening ceremony was graced by the President of Nigeria and Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
President Tinubu emphasized the need for ECOWAS member states to unite, strengthen ties, and resist forces seeking to sow division within the community.
Lawmakers from various ECOWAS member states were inaugurated during the event, including Nigeria, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote D’ Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
The ECOWAS Parliament, also known as the Community Parliament, serves as a platform for dialogue, consultation, and consensus among representatives of West African people to promote integration. Established under Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS revised treaty of 1993, it consists of 115 seats.
