By Tordue Salem
ABUJA— To achieve enduring peace, prosperity and security in Africa, the legislature on the continent must endeavour to provide appropriate legislative mechanisms to fight institutionalised corruption, create wealth and tackle the prevalence of life-threatening diseases, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, stated yesterday.
The speaker stated this at the Pan-African Parliament in commemoration of  Nigeria 50th Independence and 16 other African countries.

The speaker added that to tackle the multiple problems on the continent, “we must significantly reduce poverty and unemployment, enthrone food security and boost economic prosperity.”

Bankole, who was a guest of honour on the occasion, urged the Pan-African Parliament to live up to its responsibility of making Africa a greater continent.

“Saddled with the responsibility of actualizing the key objective of the Pan-African Parliament, the challenge is upon us individually, collectively and as a fundamental institution of democratic governance, to reposition Africa in all spheres of human endeavour.

“As a pioneer-member, I can attest to the fact that the Pan-African Parliament has faced up to its enormous responsibilities as partly demonstrated during our earlier fact-finding and elections-observer missions in many flashpoint areas and democratic transitional periods across our continent,” Bankole said.

According to him, one of the pressing tasks of the leaders of the country is to “position the Pan-African Parliament to address our fundamental problems of good governance and democratic consolidation.

“We must continue to appreciate that democracy is as important to African countries as economic development.

“Whereas economic development is the answer to material poverty, good governance, which flows from true democratization, is the surest guarantee for political stability.”