Make ECOWAS integration people-centred – Minority Leader
The Minority Leader of Parliament, Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to adopt a stronger people-centred approach to regional integration to ensure that its benefits are directly felt by citizens across the sub-region. He said the success of regional integration should not be measured only by treaties, … The post Make ECOWAS…
Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader of Parliament, has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to adopt a more people-focused approach to regional integration. He argued that the benefits of such integration should be directly experienced by citizens across the sub-region, rather than just measured by treaties, meetings, and other formal arrangements.
According to Afenyo-Markin, true success lies in the opportunities created for young people, the ease of movement for citizens and businesses across borders, and the collective ability of member states to tackle common challenges. Speaking at the Second ECOWAS Parliamentary Seminar in Accra, Afenyo-Markin, who also serves as the Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, emphasized that regional integration extends beyond mere paperwork and gatherings.
He highlighted how his tenure as the leader of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament allowed him to witness the organization taking its activities to various parts of the sub-region, including Winneba, his constituency. This engagement with local communities, traditional authorities, universities, young people, and businesses, provided a platform for closer interaction between Parliamentarians and citizens, enabling a better understanding of the concerns and aspirations of the people.
Afenyo-Markin commended the ECOWAS Parliament for expanding its activities outside national capitals, noting that this tradition continues in other locations like Kano and Port Harcourt, with Bayelsa being the next destination. He expressed confidence in Ghana’s delegation, led by Mr George Kwaku Ricketts-Hagan, to continue making significant contributions to the Parliament's work aimed at fostering a more integrated, peaceful, and prosperous West Africa.
Ricketts-Hagan’s experience in parliamentary diplomacy and commitment to regional integration were seen as crucial assets for the role. Afenyo-Markin pledged to collaborate with other ECOWAS Parliament members to advance the goals of the regional legislature in his position as Third Deputy Speaker.
Written by urgent.news from Ghanaian Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
