By Melvin Tejan Mansaray, Abuja, Nigeria
The Deputy Speaker of the 9th Nigerian House of
Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase has explained his
country’s role in the regional integration of people, security, and the
upholding of democratic best practice in the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) sub-region.
He was speaking in an
interview with ECOWAS Press Corps just after the opening ceremony of the ECOWAS
Parliament's Second Ordinary Session held on Tuesday 30th November 2021 in
Abuja, Nigeria.
Responding to a question on
the role of Nigeria in advancing regional cooperation and integration, Hon.
Wase stated that Nigeria has always intervened to ensure and instill
regional security and integration at trying times for countries like Sierra
Leone and elsewhere. “In terms of being there for our brothers, Nigeria has
been living for our brothers," He said.
Insecurity has been a pest
in the sub-region of late, Hon. Wase said that, “Security is everybody’s
business. We need the entirety of the sub-region to stave off the threats, you
are aware that from Mali to Nigeria, they have been facing challenges from
possibly what happened in Libya where most of the arms have been carted away
and finding their way to our various countries, so, we have been talking in
terms of collaboration with ourselves as MPs, the Executive - president
talking to the president and so; I believe that we are doing our best to
stem the issue of insecurity and promote cross cooperation. As journalists, you
know what other West Africa Region are doing - exposing, arresting,
and then prosecuting.”
On the stance of the ECOWAS
on Mali and Guinea, Hon. Wase said that they can be represented by
civilians but not military junta representatives.
“We do not condone coups and we do not tolerate that, we are democratic
institutions and we must uphold the sense of democratic tenets.
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