Innocent Odoh
Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Parliament) Ike Ekweremadu, has restated that no part of West Africa will be yielded to the myriad of terrorists and insurgents troubling the sub- region.
Ekweremadu said this in his address while declaring close the First Ordinary Session of the Third Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament for 2014, in Abuja yesterday stressing that the sub region is united against terrorism.
“Let me reiterate the condemnation by the community parliament of these acts of barbarism and restate that no part of this sub-region will be yielded to the insurgents. We are united to rout them out of Mali. We will therefore unite to rout them out of Nigeria and every part of the sub-region because their ways are not our ways.
“Our cultures and religions as Africans are rooted in love, not hate, mindless massacres, and destructions,” he said.
The security challenges facing the sub-region especially the scourge of terrorism received the attention of the community during the protracted session as the parliamentarians condemned the infamy of the Boko Haram violence in Nigeria and reaffirmed their pledge to support the Nigerian government to end the menace.
The Parliament according to Ekweremadu also pledged support for the international initiatives to bring the abducted Chibok school girls safely home.
Ekweremadu, who is also the Deputy Senate President of the Nigerian Senate, said the Parliament is taking necessary steps towards the realization of the enhancement of powers for the Parliament.