National News
Why we want to amend ECOWAS parliament’s supplementary act — Kalu
Why we want to amend ECOWAS parliament’s supplementary act — Kalu
By: Michael Mike
Deputy Speaker, Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu has revealed the plan of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament to amend its Supplementary Act so as to entrench Separation of Powers and guarantee legislative autonomy.
Kalu disclosed this in Abidjan, Cote D’voire, during an interview with journalists at the sidelines of a meeting of ECOWAS Parliament’s Joint Committee on Administration, Finance, Budget, Public Accounts, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, of which he is the Chairman.
According to him, when laws become obsolete, they outlive their usefulness to the dynamic society, hence, the need to amend them to strengthen the legislature.
He said that if this was not done, it would allow the executive to become the ‘judge in their own case.’
The parliamentarian said that the attendant scenario of weak subregional institutions would culminate in their losing credibility before the international community.
He expressed confidence that the move would get the buy-in of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.
Kalu while stating that all the member states of the regional bloc would want to see it happen, said: “Rightly put, we need to amend the Supplementary Act.
“The protocols that brought the ECOWAS Commission and ECOWAS Parliament into existence need to be overhauled.
“This is because these laws are not cast in stones; Indeed, no law is cast in stone.”
He revealed that the parliament was also looking at the laws controlling the management, the administration, the operationalisation of so many expectations of citizens, who are members of ECOWAS community.
He said: “We’ll see whether they are fit for our purpose or not. When laws become obsolete, they don’t fit into the needs of the dynamic society.
“We’ll touch them up, so that they’ll become proper and we’ll ensure that we get what we are supposed to get.
“So, we are heading towards that because the Supplementary Act does not fully give the independence of the parliament,” he said.
Konu, an APC lawmaker representing Abia, Bende Constituency, said the legislature is not independent, and the subregion cannot claim to be a democratic institution without strengthening the fulcrum of democracy.
He said: “For a couple of days now, we’ve been busy analysing the rules of procedure, and members are speaking out their minds.
“We are analysing the supplementary act, to find out if there is anything we can do to increase the independence of the legislative arm of the Community?
“So this is the kind of conversations that have been going on,” he said.
Kalu, who is also a lawyer and Chairman of Nigeria’s House of Representatives Constitutional Review Committee, insisted that the legislature is the fulcrum of democratic establishment.
He said: “We are already reviewing the Grundnorm of Nigeria, one of the greatest countries of the Black race.
“It is not happening yet in the ECOWAS community, and we want it to happen.
“I’m sure the heads of government of all the states in the ECOWAS want it to happen.
“We need to sit with them, to make sure that we do it in a way that will strengthen the legislature more than it is now.
Kalu emphasised that once this was in place, the three ethos and principles of democracy, namely, transparency, accountability and credibility, would be observed.
“If the legislature is not strong, when it is supposed to be the watchdog of the other arms of government, the executive will be the judge in their own case.
“They will make their budgets, they’ll oversight themselves, and that is not in line with the expectation of democracy.
“So, there is the need to strengthen the legislature to enable us to observe the doctrine of Separation of Powers.
“The doctrine is clear on the definition of the parameters of the operation of the various arms of government.
“It is like saying, look, legislature, you know your boundaries; executive, you know your boundaries.
“And it is good for each one of them to do the function of being their own leader, and be the watchdog of the responsibilities of the others,” he said.
The lawmaker further noted that the parliament’s push towards amending the act would come with a lot of advocacy.
“It’s not going to be achieved through boxing gloves.
“It’s going to be through lobbying, through negotiation.
“We’ll let people know that if we don’t do this, the Committee of Nations will not see our organization as credible.
“Just because we do not observe the true elements of good governance, transparency and accountability,” he said.
Why we want to amend ECOWAS parliament’s supplementary act — Kalu
VP SHETTIMA AND THE ILLOGICAL PERMUTATIONS FOR 2027
By: Inuwa Bwala
As happened in 2023, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to name his running mate, vested interests are again up in arms, trying to hoodwink or armstwist him into doing their bids.
What people forget, however, is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a master schemer and knows exactly what to do at the appropriate time. Contrary to what many people think, he has his own game plan and can not be compelled to play to the gallery.
In the last few weeks, I have read a plethora of writeups trying to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prescriptions on how to chart a new political course if he hopes to achieve his second term bid in the 2027 general elections.
Many of the write ups contain permutations in the event of the emergence of a perceived strong opposition and that unless he drops his Vice President for another person, he will have a difficult task.
As a student of political history, and given our experiences, I dare say that if Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima could win in the face of all the obstacles placed in their ways from within and from without there does not appear any threat to this same ticket in 2027.
I must confess that I have not yet met a shrewed political strategist in Nigeria like the President who against all permutations settled for Kashim Shettima neither am I aware of any politician who could be as loyal dedicated and determined to his Boss as Shettima has demonstrated over the years.
The game is already on, and the biggest threat to Tinubu in 2027 is indeed any attempt to shift the goalpost in the mu
middle of the game.
As far as I know, the combination has given a very good account of itself, and with the rays of hope beyond the immediate horizon, Kashim Shettima remains President Bola Ahmed Tinubu best choice
I am aware that people have been trying to drive a wedge between them by framing false narratives that are neither here nor there. So as not to embolden those who are heating up the polity unnecessarily, the silence maintained on political permutations remains the best by both the president and the vice president.
Silence on certain issues has paid off for both of them before, and it will again pay off.
When people thought Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sick and weak and may even die before the end of his first tenure, he maintained a golden silence on his health status and rather magnified it as real thereby tricking all Nigerians into believing it was true.
Now that he has proven to be healthy and strong, the voices that predicted a doom for the presidency are silent.
VP SHETTIMA AND THE ILLOGICAL PERMUTATIONS FOR 2027
Nigerien Army Deserter Who Joined Boko Haram Surrenders in Diffa Region
By: Our Reporter
A deserter from the Niger Republic Armed Forces who reportedly joined the terrorist group Boko Haram has surrendered to local authorities in Kindjandi, located in the Diffa Region of southeastern Niger Republic.
The individual, identified as Abba Ibrahim, had been serving with the Nigerien Armed Forces since 2022 before deserting his post in Bosso on March 8, 2025, according to military intelligence sources. He fled alongside a fellow soldier, Bandam Dala, and subsequently joined a Boko Haram faction active in the Lake Chad area.
Security sources disclosed that Ibrahim surrendered on April 21, 2025, arriving in Kindjandi on horseback with a rifle. He was accompanied by an unidentified young man whose details are yet to be confirmed.
Ibrahim was taken into custody by the Nigerien Armed Forces on the morning of April 22, 2025, and is currently undergoing debriefing and interrogation by military intelligence.
The Diffa Region has remained a hotspot for insurgent activity due to its proximity to Lake Chad and border areas with Nigeria, where Boko Haram and other extremist groups operate.
Nigerien Army Deserter Who Joined Boko Haram Surrenders in Diffa Region
National News
ECOWAS @50: WADEMOS Commends Subregional bloc for Inviting Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger to Launch
ECOWAS @50: WADEMOS Commends Subregional bloc for Inviting Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger to Launch
By: Michael Mike
The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS) has commended the initiative by ECOWAS to extend an invitation to the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger for the official launch of ECOWAS’ golden jubilee in Accra.
The Network, in a press statement on Tuesday, said it supports the initiative by ECOWAS to ease tensions and foster diplomacy in a bid to sustain the common heritage, shared history, and longstanding socio-cultural ties of the peoples.
The statement read: “As ECOWAS opens its doors and extends an arm of friendship and collaboration to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the Network encourages the three countries to reciprocate the gesture, upholding the spirit of good neighbourliness and cross-border cooperation. Such
cooperation is necessary now more than ever, especially as we require a concerted effort to confront matters of common interest to the subregion, such as security and trade.
“WADEMOS maintains the position that the restoration of trust and confidence between
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, on the one hand, and ECOWAS, on the other hand,
remains critical to sustaining cooperation and enhancing the free movement of goods and people. Building trust and confidence, we believe, is also critical to effectively combat the growing threat of terrorism across the subregion.
“Considering the close ties that exist among the West African peoples, WADEMOS
continues to urge the three Sahelian countries to be reconciliatory in their engagements with ECOWAS.”
WADEMOS is an independent and non-partisan network of diverse national and transnational civil society organisations and civic groups working to promote and defend democracy, good governance, and inclusive development in the West Africa region.
It mobilizes, coordinates, and leverages the collective voice and power of civil society and other pro-democracy actors, resources, and opportunities within the West Africa region to advance its mission. The current membership of WADEMOS stands at 47 spread across West Africa.
The WADEMOS Secretariat is based in Accra, Ghana.
ECOWAS @50: WADEMOS Commends Subregional bloc for Inviting Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger to Launch
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