SP Saraki Tasks ECOWAS Parliament On Regional Integration, Security

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament to work towards deeper integration and effective security for persons in the sub-region.

Saraki who made the call when the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Mustapha Cisselo, led other management staff of the parliament on a courtesy call on him in Abuja
also commended the leadership qualities exhibited by Cisselo since his election and urged him to do more in promoting the aims and objectives of the ECOWAS Parliament.

Saraki said: "As I said in my speech at your inauguration, we must continue to ensure the economic integration of the West African sub-region. We must ensure that we do our best to enhance the powers of the ECOWAS parliament so that it becomes effective and not just a place for talk-shop. We must also play our role in seeing that terrorism which is one of the greatest threat to our people gets the necessary collective approach to solve the problem and danger in our region.

RE:DISQUIET IN THE WAR FRONT AS SOLDIERS COMPLAIN OF UNPAID ALLOWANCE - NIGERIAN ARMY

The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to some stories going round the media circles with the title “Disquiet in the war front as soldiers complain of unpaid allowance” alleging that there was problem in the Nigerian Army due to non-payment of allowances to some soldiers serving in the North East.

In particular, they were alleging non-payment of outstanding peacekeeping operations allowance of troops that served in Guinea Bissau under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States and operation allowances to some troops in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, among others.

The issues contained in such publications are not true nor correct. While some media treated the matter professionally, giving the military benefit of doubt and sought to know the truth, others mischievously went to town with the false story without recourse to ethics of the profession and bothering to find out from the military.

President Jonathan to attend ECOWAS summit in Cote D’Ivoire

Nigeria President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan will depart Abuja Thursday for Yamoussoukro, Cote D’Ivoire to participate in the 44th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government.

The summit will begin Friday 28 March and end Saturday 29 March, said Dr. Rueben Abati, the president’s media adviser in a statement.

The Conference which will consider several reports from the ECOWAS Commission, Council of Ministers and ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, will also be addressed by the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations to ECOWAS as well as the President of the African Union Commission.