Six countries including Liberia are yet to ratify ECOWAS Protocol on corruption

By Oludare Richards, Abuja | The Guardian Online |

Liberia’s President, George Manneh Weah

The ECOWAS Parliament has fingered six member-states that are yet to ratify the ECOWAS Protocol on the fight against corruption. This was disclosed at the end of the delocalised meeting of the Joint Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and APRM, Gender, Women Empowerment, Social Protection, Legal and Judicial Affairs in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A report presented by the Committee’s Chairman, Hon. Padumhekou Tchao, disclosed that Senegal, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Cabo Verde were yet to ratify, asking them to do so to fast track the process.He said if they do this, it would pave way for the setting up of the Technical Anti-corruption Committee to monitor its implementation, especially through the production of a periodic report on the state of corruption in West Africa.

He said: “Even though Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Benin have institutions and legislations for implementing the protocol, that doesn’t mean other countries are not making efforts to do so…“The Parliament and ECOWAS Commission should hold an annual Forum of Civil Society Organisations, dedicated to the fight against corruption in member-states. This forum will allow for sharing of experiences and ownership of state of the fight against corruption in the region…”The Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Moustapha Cisse-Lo, said the issue of 30 per cent women representation would be taken seriously from the fifth legislature, urging all member-states to comply.

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