Victoria Ojeme

The Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has set in motion a process to investigate the employment exercise at the bloc which is allegedly riddled with nepotism.

In a statement, the Speaker of the ECOWAS parliament, Sidie Mohammed Tunis, said he constituted the ad-hoc committee following written complaints from the 1st Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase, and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Musa Sani Nuhu.

“The action of the Honourable Speaker is in conformity to Rule Thirty-three (33) and Thirty-four (34) of the Rules of Procedures of the Parliament which provides that a Special Committee may be set up to address specific matters. The Speaker, in response to pressing emergencies, can set up an Ad Hoc Committee, in consultation with the Bureau, and inform Parliament at its next Session.

“The Adhoc Committee would be headed by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, Chairman of the Committee on Administration, Finance, and Budget,” the ECOWAS Parliament said.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian Delegation at the ECOWAS Parliament had threatened to withdraw the country’s membership of the regional bloc if it did not suspend the on-going recruitment exercise as recently directed in the 2022 First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.

Nigerian representatives at the parliament issued the threat when some principal officers in the regional bloc allegedly defied the directives and embarked on the illegal process of recruiting their relatives and cronies.

The lawmakers cite the huge financial commitments which Nigeria makes to the body amid its internal security challenges.

They said there was no commensurate return on investment for Nigeria in ECOWAS for all the country has done and is doing for the region from its inception in 1975.

Leader of the Nigerian delegation and Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Ahmed Idris Wase, said it has become imperative that Nigeria review its relevance and membership of the bloc.

“If you are in a system, and you are not getting the right results, where you are investing your money, it pays best to walk out of the union.

“In a situation where we are having an infrastructural deficit and witnessing security challenges, why should we continue to invest our money where it will not benefit our country.

“Yes, we will pull out if we don’t get the desired result from this,” he said.

He said “we are asking for justice not just for Nigerians alone, but for the entire ECOWAS community. That is what MPs are asking for. There are few countries that want to run ECOWAS like a cabal but we will not tolerate that.”

But the new investigating committee by ECOWAS has Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu (Nigeria); Fatoumatta Njai (The Gambia); Amadou Djibo Ali (Niger); Kounon Nahou Agbandao (Togo); Caramo Camara (Guinea Bissau); Moussokora Chantal Fanny (Cote d’ Ivoire) and Arboncana Oumarou Dicko, Clerk to the Committee as members.

“The Terms of Reference of the Ad Hoc Committee shall be as follows: Investigate allegations of inappropriate conduct in the ongoing recruitment process at the ECOWAS Parliament;

“Investigate allegations of marginalization of Nigerian Candidates in the current recruitment process;

“Investigateand determine if indeed the plenary adopted any Resolution concerning the subject matter (Recruitment of Staff), using normal parliamentary procedure;

“In the execution of its mandate, the Committee shall be granted access to all documents relating to the recruitment exercise and work with the Advisory Committee on Recruitment and Promotions at the ECOWAS Parliament, to under-study and review the exercise. The Adhoc Committee would be guided by the provisions of the Supplementary Act and the ECOWAS Staff Regulations.

“The work of the Ad Hoc Committee is expected to commence on 22nd August 2022 and its findings are expected to be reported to the Honorable Speaker in one week, following which a Bureau meeting will be convened to consider the report for onward submission to the Plenary.

“In the meantime, the Right Honourable Speaker has directed the suspension of the ongoing recruitment exercises, pending the outcome of the investigation by the Independent Adhoc Committee.

“Finally, the ECOWAS Parliament, under the leadership of Right Honourable Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis, affirms its stern commitment to fair labor practices and is devoted to upholding and protecting the rights of all Citizens of the Community to aspire for positions in any Community Institution, in line with the provisions of the ECOWAS Staff Regulations and all related Protocols,” the ECOWAS Parliament also said.