ECOWAS says it is set to sensitise border officials on the aims of the Protocol on Free Movement of goods and persons in the sub-region.
Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Moustapha Cissé Lô said this at the end of the first extraordinary session of the parliament in Abuja on Wednesday.
A short documentary, “Taxi CEDEAO’’, had been shown at different ECOWAS meetings on difficulties being faced by citizens at borders within the sub-region.
The documentary, which was also shown at the beginning of the session, was made using a hidden camera to show how border officials continually extorted citizens in spite of existing binding protocols.
Cissé Lô said that joint programmes were underway by the commission and the parliament to begin sensitisation for border officials.
“On this issue, there are barriers along our borders, there are obstacles to free movement along our borders, that is what the video shows.
“Our intention is to conduct visits to the border posts to sensitise all these authorities on the border posts to give up these abnormal practices.
“In collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission, we will be conducting those visits to the border posts to create awareness and to sensitise the officials,” he said.
On the enhancement of the legislative powers of the parliament, Cissé Lô said the recommendations of the Legal and Judicial Affairs Committee tasked to examine the implications had been adopted by the members present.
“We shall continue with a special seminar on this issue to delve more into the implication,” he added.
The speaker also said that the extraordinary session was held to examine and adopt the reports and conclusions from the delocalised meetings previously organised by the parliament.
“In addition to this, the session also looked at the draft resolution, which it went ahead to consider and adopt, that is on the post-election crisis in The Gambia.
“The idea was for us to come up with a resolution to go to the Heads of States that played a role in the successful conclusion of the crisis in the Gambia.
“The resolution will go to the ECOWAS Commission for the onward transmission to the Heads of States,” he said.
The parliament further agreed to reconvene next session in May.
Discussion about this post