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ECOWAS Parliament urges Nigerian govt to reopen borders

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Moustapha Cisse Lo

The ECOWAS Parliament has appealed to the Nigerian government to find a permanent solution to the challenge of smuggling, rather than the continued closure of its borders.

In a statement at the opening of the 2nd Extra Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Liberia, the speaker of the parliament, Moustapha Cisse Lo, appealed to the Nigerian government to reopen its borders.

Cisse Lo harped on the implementation of free trade movement within the ECOWAS region, stating that the border closure posed a threat to the implementation of the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons.

He said: “In the same vein, the closure of the Nigerian borders with Benin more than a month ago and Niger more recently is a hindrance to the achievement of the Community’s main objective, which is to achieve the creation of a prosperous, borderless West African region where peace and harmony prevail.

“The ECOWAS Parliament calls for compliance with Community provisions and thus calls for the reopening of borders and a coordinated fight against smuggling in the region;

“The root causes of this recurrent situation must be studied with a view to finding a permanent solution.” he added

READ ALSO: Reps’ Dep Speaker, Ahmed Wase, sworn in as 1st Dep Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament

He also condemned the Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, saying that it had constituted real threats to African integration.

“At the time of our session, serious events are taking place on our continent and should be given special attention.

“Indeed, in South Africa, in recent weeks, we have witnessed an upsurge in extremely violent xenophobic acts.

“These sad images of Africa, these painful events and the tensions they generate challenge us as elected representatives of our peoples, we are extremely concerned and deeply outraged.

“The ECOWAS Parliament calls on the South African authorities to assume their responsibility by guaranteeing all their foreign nationals the right to life, physical integrity and free movement.

“We also call on all African States and the African Union to adopt diligent initiatives to restore peace and security and ensure a return to calm in South Africa and all other States.”

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