At the 2021 First Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, I charged the parliamentarians to as a matter of urgency, seek ways of addressing the prevalence of terrorism and irregular migration affecting member states.
I am convinced that doing so would ensure regional economic growth, besides tackling unemployment and stimulating economic multipliers within the sub-region.
The spate of insecurity and cross-border crimes such as banditry and kidnapping are severe threats to the stability and economic progress of most countries within the West African sub-region.
While the ECOWAS protocol on Free Movement of Persons and Goods remains a prized policy, for instance; insecurity, instability, and conflicts are matters requiring continuous attention.
The freedom to move between member nations is helpful to sub-regional economic growth, besides increasing the attendant benefits like job creation, reduction in underemployment, stimulation of economic multipliers, and better wellbeing.
This can hardly happen in an atmosphere of strife, cross-border crimes like banditry, insurgency, drug trafficking, and ceaseless ethno-religious struggles, amidst others.
All parliamentarians at the session as I emphasized yesterday must examine the dimensions associated with these occurrences towards appropriate interventions.
We must chart ways forward in the months ahead, particularly in engendering cohesion in eliminating terrorism, all forms of extremism, and the better implementation of trade agreements and protocols.
As the 2021 First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament enters its second day today, I wish all the parliamentarians fruitful deliberations.