Acting Clerk Yusupha Jobe calls for the Pan-African Parliament To be given legislative powers

Yusupha Jobe

The Acting Clerk of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), Yusupha Jobe has stressed the need to fast tract the ratification of PAP’s Revised Protocol adopted in Malabo in 2014 which granted legislative powers to the Parliament. Mr. Jobe spoke to reporters at the ongoing First Ordinary Session of the Fifth Parliament  in Kigali, Rwanda.

He regretted that the lack of a binding common law as envisaged by the founding fathers is a challenge

“In their wisdom, the founding fathers thought that having this Parliament to put the bricks together, harmonize these laws and rules and regulations would be a good foundation for the united states of Africa. And this is the main issue of the Protocol as well.

Initially, because of the fragmentation, it means it will take time for us to bring along all the differences and try to discuss on how to make sure that everybody is on board rather than impose our will on all others”.

Speaking on “the differences”, Jobe pointed to a case where countries have laws which permit female genital mutilation while others do not.

Some countries, he said, are soft on terrorism while others are hard on it and, some ban other Africans from entry without visa, while others do not.

“The Revised Protocol is the starting place to make sure that we have the rights of the legislation. And when we do, then we will be in position to create laws to enable the continent to be able to use them”.

Mr. Jobe stated that as at October 20, only 10 countries; The Gambia, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Mali, Togo, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Madagascar, Somalia, Chad and Benin have ratified the Revised Protocol.

At least 18 more ratifications are required so as to give the Parliament  legislative powers in defined areas..