WorldStage Newsonline– The newly elected speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sidie Mohammed Tunis from Sierra Leone has proposed the establishment of Public Account committee (PAC) with the core mandate of reviewing audit reports submitted by the commission.
According to a statement, at his inaugural speech after the election in Niamey, Niger, Tunis said PAC shall ensure effective financial management that places greater implementation responsibility with managers and makes them more accountable for their performances.
According to him, “step would be taken in compliance with Article 7c of the Supplementary Act relating to the Enhancement of powers of the Parliament, which states the parliament shall exercise parliamentary oversight functions over the activities of programme implementing bodies of the community and adopt the appropriate resolution.”
The new speaker promised that in exercising its advisor role, the parliament under his leadership, would ensure that the community’s budget are dedicated to programs and projects that would impact positively to citizens at grassroots levels.
He said, “We must pay close attention to the performance aspect of budgeting by demonstrating to stakeholders that ECOWAS resources are being used effectively to achieve results and that these results are beneficial to our citizens. If ECOWAS state and government must be accountable to its citizens and donor partners, then the process must begin with ECOWAS citizens themselves. All monies must be scrutinized and the ECOWAS institutions must be run as efficiently and effectively as possible”.
As the region prepares to hold election in four countries namely Guinea, Cote d’ ivoire, Niger and Ghana, Tunis said the legislature would endeavor to deploy long and short term monitoring and observer missions to those countries and would continue to also monitor the recently concluded election process in Togo.
The new speaker equally promised to work with the Authority of Heads of State and Government as well as Council of Ministers to ensure that the region was safe, secured and prosperous.
While commending the ECOWAS Parliament Female Parliamentarians Association, ECOPARL, for aspiring young women in the region to greater heights, Tunis pledged his commitment to support the association and urged them to expand their membership to include female staff of the parliament.
He further paid glorying tributes to all past speakers whom he said laid a solid foundation through their sacrifices for the growth of the parliament and promised to continue in their footsteps.
The first Legislature of the ECOWAS parliament was inaugurated in Bamako, Mali in 2000 with Prof Ali Nouhoum Diallo from that country emerging as the first speaker with a mandate of five year which lasted from 16 November 2000 to 5th October 2005.
In 2006, the second Legislature was inaugurated under the leadership of Mahamane Ousmane from the republic of Niger. Unlike his predecessor, his tenure lasted for four years following the restructuring of ECOWAS institutions by the Authority of Heads of state and Government which reduced the life span of the legislature .
Dr. Ike Ekweremadu from Nigeria emerged as the speaker of the third legislature which was inaugurated in August 2011. He tenure expired on august 2015 paving way for the fourth legislature which was inaugurated at its first sitting in 4th February 2016.
The fifth Legislature which was inaugurated on Monday 9th February in Niamey by President Mahamadou Issoufou and chairman ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government , is in accordance with the ECOWAS decision that establishes the rotational system of speakership of the parliament , based on an alphabetical order of member state.
Following this arrangement, the next speaker of the parliament is expected to come from Togo in 2024.
