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ECOWAS parliamentarian calls for direct election of members
ECOWAS parliamentarian calls for direct election of members
By: Michael Mike
A member of the 6th ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Osita Izunaso has called for election of members directly by their constituents into the regional legislative body, rather than through nomination by their countries as it is today.
Izunaso, the First Rapporteur of the parliament’s Joint Committee on Public Accounts, made the call in an interview with journalists in Abidjan on Tuesday.
Izunaso (APC-Imo West) is a fourth-term senator, and longest serving lawmaker from the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones in the Nigerian senate.
Speaking on the sidelines of the parliament’s joint committee on administration, budget, finance, public account, macroeconomic policy, and economic research meeting, he suggested the amendment of the Supplementary Act for that purpose.
“The direct election of members to the ECOWAS Parliament is long overdue.
“We must borrow a leaf from the European Parliament, where members are elected directly by their constituents.
“I think we have to work out a framework for the direct election of members to the ECOWAS Parliament.
“That will go a long way in solving most of the problems of the parliament, and I strongly believe in it.
“I spoke about it when I was making my contributions and I believe that is the best way to go.
“The modalities have to be worked out, and it is one of the issues we are going to agree on in this conference.
“The committee that is in charge will be given that responsibility to work out a framework on how to hold direct elections to ECOWAS Parliament.
“When that happens, I’m sure more powers will be given to the Parliament,” he said.
Izunaso noted that through direct elections, the people’s representatives to the parliament will be elected directly, whether they have been parliamentarians or not.
According to him, it has to be open for people who want to contest to do so because it is not only parliamentarians who have repository of knowledge.
The lawmaker said there were non-parliamentarians that are more knowledge, who might even make better contributions if they were elected into the Parliament.
“The benefit of electing ECOWAS parliamentarians directly is that it will give them more authority, they’ll have more powers, they’ll have more checks and balances.
“This is as enshrined in the principles of Separation of Powers, because when you hold direct elections, you give more powers to the legislature.
“So, it will be more beneficial to the ECOWAS sub-region than it is today,” the senator said.
Izunaso also called for the amendment of the Supplementary Act to give total legislative authority to the ECOWAS Parliament, stressing that there were a lot of gaps that needed to be closed.
He observed that a situation where the ECOWAS Parliament does not have legislative powers with regards to budgeting, it would not augur well for the community.
“So, we are proposing that the Supplementary Act be amended to give more powers to the ECOWAS Parliament, in terms of budgeting and also auditing.
“This is because if you have a parliament that does not exercise legislative duties, then there’s a gap, something is missing somewhere,” he said.
The parliamentarian also proposed that the amendments should include mandating that some key appointments in the ECOWAS parliament be subjected to parliamentary confirmation.
He suggested that the appointment of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the commissioners, and other top management staff should be subjected to parliamentary confirmation.
On the threat of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to exit ECOWAS, the lawmaker said their exit would bring about the dual challenges of funding and exclusion.
“So, it’s not only about the need for more funding, but it’s more of inclusivity; If we say we are ECOWAS, every part of ECOWAS should be together.
“We’re not happy that any one of our member countries would want to pull out, because the more we are, the merrier, so we want them back.
“But I believe that the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of Government are working towards resolving the issues,” Izunaso added.
ECOWAS parliamentarian calls for direct election of members
News
Ex-NGF Coordinator Onaiwu urges support for NSA security direction
Ex-NGF Coordinator Onaiwu urges support for NSA security direction
By: Michael Mike
A former coordinator of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, has called on the political class across party lines to support ongoing security efforts of the federal government.
Onaiwu in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday noted that insecurity is colour blind, has no party affiliation and was religious neutral, therefore, the need for politicians to eschew partisan slant on security matters.
He cautioned that failure by the political elite to support the fight against insecurity leading to several ungoverned spaces could disrupt elections, stressing that except there is a country, then elections are guaranteed.
The former NGF coordinator particularly commended the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his coordination and strategic efforts in streamlining security policies and engagements in tackling insecurity.
According to him, the recent delivery of military hardware by the United States Government to Nigeria is a demonstration that the NSA was working and his recent foray to the U.S. is yielding the desired results.
“The season requires patriots and this means that irrespective of party affiliations, every politician worth his name needs to support ongoing security efforts as coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
“Insecurity is colour blind, has no party affiliation, it is religious blind and those not respect societal status. Therefore, Nigerians, especially our political class, should lend their support, proffer solutions and galvanise the people to back the government’s security initiatives.
“Only on Tuesday, the federal government received critical military hardware from the United States Government. This is cheering and it shows that the NSA’s recent visit to the United States and the subsequent hosting of delegations in the country is bearing the desired results.
“Also, renewed military and police onslaughts against terrorists and bandits show that the federal government is taking the fight to those who are intent on denying us our peace and well-being.
“The least we can do as citizens is to support the government, provide real time intelligence from our communities and do not engage in fake news on social media against government’s efforts,” Onaiwu stated.
He further called on governors to match the energy of the federal government by supporting the NSA to address the various security challenges in their states as well as continued logistics and equipment to the military and police.
Ex-NGF Coordinator Onaiwu urges support for NSA security direction
News
Court Threatens Contempt Action Against IGP Over Alleged Disobedience in Anozie Abduction Case
Court Threatens Contempt Action Against IGP Over Alleged Disobedience in Anozie Abduction Case
By: Michael Mike
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, is facing possible committal to prison following contempt proceedings initiated over an alleged failure to comply with a Federal High Court order relating to the abduction and disappearance of Mr. John Chukwuemeka Anozie.
The action was instituted by legal counsel to Mr. Anozie’s wife, Mr. Vincent Adodo, who accused the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the IGP of willfully disobeying a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 24, 2025.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/865/2025 between Mrs. Nnenna Anozie v. Inspector General of Police, Justice Binta Nyako ordered the IGP to produce for prosecution operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) alleged to have abducted Mr. Anozie from his Lekki residence in Lagos on June 15, 2017.
The court also directed the police authorities to forward the investigation report and legal advice on the matter to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation for appropriate action.
The court further awarded ₦2 million in damages against the IGP for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Mrs. Anozie seeking details of investigations into her husband’s disappearance.
The SARS operatives listed in the judgment include officers attached to the former SARS unit in Akwuzu, Anambra State, who were accused of involvement in the alleged abduction.
According to court documents, despite being served with the judgment in October 2025, the IGP has neither complied with the orders of the court nor paid the damages awarded. This development prompted Mrs. Anozie’s legal team to initiate contempt proceedings by serving the IGP with Form 48 (Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order) and Form 49 (Notice of Committal to Correctional Centre).
The applicant is now seeking an order of court committing the IGP to Kuje Correctional Centre until he complies fully with the judgment.
The motion for contempt has been scheduled for hearing on February 9, 2025, before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official response to the contempt proceedings.
Court Threatens Contempt Action Against IGP Over Alleged Disobedience in Anozie Abduction Case
News
VP Shettima Lauds Massachusetts Tech Institute’s Impact On Global Innovation Ecosystem
VP Shettima Lauds Massachusetts Tech Institute’s Impact On Global Innovation Ecosystem
Urges African entrepreneurs to close ranks to fully harness continent’s huge potentials
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has lauded the transformative impact of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the global entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem that has raised over $1.5 billion dollars and created over 30,000 direct jobs in 20 years.
He, however, urged African entrepreneurs to close ranks in order to fully harness the continent’s huge potentials, leveraging MIT’s resource mobilization network and job creation opportunities.
The Vice President made the remarks on Wednesday when he received a delegation from Kuo Sharper Foundry Fellowship 2025-2026 led by MIT’s Executive Director for the Kuo Sharper Centre for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, Dina Sherif, on a courtesy visit at the presidential villa.

Senator Shettima called for unity of purpose among African professionals and entrepreneurs, saying “Africa is the new frontier and future belongs to the continent but its people must unite to transform potentials into tangible results that impact lives and livelihoods.
“Africa is blessed with enormous human and material resources but its people must fuse into one to benefit from the tremendous opportunities that abound across the continent,” he added.

He disclosed that Nigeria President Bola Tinubu is daring to leverage available opportunities to transform the entire economy, noting that “President Tinubu is not afraid of taking bold decisions that will reposition Nigeria’s economy and better the lives of the livelihoods of the people.”
Earlier in her remarks, the leader of the delegation, Sherif, said the delegation was at the Presidential Villa to brief the Vice President on the activities of MIT’s Kuo Sharper Centre for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, assuring that the Centre is dedicated to “fueling the engine of entrepreneurship across the world”.
She noted that the team was in Nigeria in view of the Kuo Sharper Foundry Fellowship programme, which, according to her, has helped to entrench the spirit of entrepreneurship across the continent.

Sherif underscored the significance of collaboration among African startups, noting that Nigeria is a leading country, as evidenced in the progress recorded by startups across the continent.
She further assured of improved support for African-based startups from the centre through its various initiatives.

Also present at the meeting with the Vice President were the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, and some fellows of the Kuo Sharper Foundry Fellowship 2025 – 2026 Session across Africa.
VP Shettima Lauds Massachusetts Tech Institute’s Impact On Global Innovation Ecosystem
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