The ECOWAS Parliament has pleaded with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to open its closed borders.
The parliament stated that the closed borders hampers the implementation of free trade movement within the ECOWAS region.
Speaker of the Parliament, Hon. Moustapha Cisse Lo, made this known while addressing the 2nd Extra-Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Monrovia, Liberia.
Closed borders
He urged the federal government to find a permanent solution to the challenge of smuggling, rather than closing the borders.
“In the same vein, the closure of the Nigerian borders with Benin more than a month ago and Niger more recently is a hindrance to the achievement of the Community’s main objective, which is to achieve the creation of a prosperous, borderless West African region where peace and harmony prevail,” Cisse Lo said.
“The ECOWAS Parliament calls for compliance with Community provisions and thus calls for the reopening of borders and a coordinated fight against smuggling in the region;
“The root causes of this recurrent situation must be studied with a view to finding a permanent solution,” he added.
Xenophobia
On Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, the speaker of the Ecowas parliamment said that it had constituted real threats to African integration.
Cisse Lo also called on South African authorities to assume their responsibility by guaranteeing all foreign nationals the right to life, physical integrity and free movement.
“At the time of our session, serious events are taking place on our continent and should be given special attention,” he said.
“Indeed, in South Africa, in recent weeks, we have witnessed an upsurge in extremely violent xenophobic acts.
“These sad images of Africa, these painful events and the tensions they generate challenge us as elected representatives of our peoples, we are extremely concerned and deeply outraged.
“The ECOWAS Parliament calls on the South African authorities to assume their responsibility by guaranteeing all their foreign nationals the right to life, physical integrity and free movement.
“We also call on all African States and the African Union to adopt diligent initiatives to restore peace and security and ensure a return to calm in South Africa and all other States.”
