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Why we want to amend ECOWAS parliament’s supplementary act — Kalu

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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

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NAPTIP Alerts Nigerians to Increasing Challenges in Human Trafficking

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NAPTIP Alerts Nigerians to Increasing Challenges in Human Trafficking

By: Michael Mike

The Director General, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajiya Binta Bello has alerted of the increasing challenges in human trafficking where traffickers have continued to deceive victims with pseudo job opportunities and harvested their organs..

Addressing a press conference on activities lined up for this year’s World Day Against Human Trafficking, Bello said it should interest all that the fight against human trafficking has continued to take new dimensions with emerging trends daily.

She said this is coupled with a new destination and further exploitation of victims.

She lamented that some of the disturbing trends that are on the increase, include Fake Job Opportunities and Scholarships in some destination countries; Recruitment of Victims as Marketing Agents for some branded products with the intention to exploit them; Recruitment of unsuspecting youths for Online Scam (Yahoo-Yahoo) within Nigeria, Ghana and some West African Countries; Online Trafficking/Sextortion, revenge porn,– Nigeria and Ghana.

Others are Baby Factory; Organ Harvesting; Online Loan Scheme – This is a situation where the suspect uses social media handles to lure unsuspecting victims into accepting, but at the end of the day, compel them into prostitution in return for the loan.

She noted that even though the crime of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) continues to evolve, becoming more complex, transnational and interlinked with other forms of violence and exploitation, particularly affecting women, children, persons with disabilities, and the elderly, NAPTIP has continued to perform maximally in line with its mandates.

Bello said: “The Agency has continued to carry out its activities in line with the 5Ps Strategies of Prevention, Partnership, Policy, Protection, and Prosecution. These have metamorphosed to massive awareness across the country to reduce the vulnerability of the citizens, increased collaboration and coordination, development of counter trafficking policies, rescue and rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking,and prosecution of offenders.”

She reiterated that: “Our resolve to tackle human trafficking in Nigeria is firm and unequivocal, and we shall continue to scale our strategies to outsmart the traffickers. It is our resolve to continue doubling our efforts to outsmart the tactics of the traffickers.

“In the coming months, it will be very challenging for human traffickers in the Country. We shall increase our coordination mechanism to empower all state and non–state actors to detect and report issues of human trafficking anywhere in the Country.

“In the same vein, we have built the capacity of our Cybercrime Squad and aligned it with the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime (JCTC) under the Federal Ministry of Justice to effectively and swiftly respond and address the growing trends of online recruitment and exploitation.”

Bello said: “NAPTIP has also strengthened working relationship and collaboration with other sister Law Enforcement Agencies including the Intelligence Community to ensure adequate surveillance and interception of traffickers and victims of human trafficking. This is in addition to the reinforcement and stringent enforcement of the relevant counter trafficking legal instruments with neighbouring countries and partners to prevent human trafficking.”

She however insisted that: “Human trafficking is a visible threat to National Development. It is a crime that weakens the foundation and pillars of any nation, with women and youth as the main target. So, we must set aside any rivalry; we must join hands together and ensure the protection of Nigerians.”

On his part, the Country Representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr. Cheikh Toure reaffirmed UNODC’s unwavering solidarity with
the Nigerian people in confronting the scourge of human trafficking.

He said: “This year’s theme “Human Trafficking is Organised Crime: End the Exploitation” demands we recognize a stark reality: trafficking is not incidental crime, but a calculated, transnational enterprise profiting from the vulnerability of our women, children, and men.”

He added that: “As custodian of the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), UNODC stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Government of Nigeria. We must dismantle criminal networks through coordinated, cross-border action, strengthening justice, protecting victims, and holding perpetrators accountable.

He insisted that: “Human trafficking violates every principle of human dignity, destabilizes societies, and undermines the rule of law. Let me be clear: UNODC will deepen its partnership with Nigeria working with government, civil society, and survivors to shatter criminal empires, uplift victims, and build a future where no Nigerian is bought or sold. The time for decisive action is now.”

NAPTIP Alerts Nigerians to Increasing Challenges in Human Trafficking

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Producers Are Mandated to Embrace Circular Economy with Recycling and Reuse as Fundamentals

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Producers Are Mandated to Embrace Circular Economy with Recycling and Reuse as Fundamentals

By: Michael Mike

The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor has explained that the Extended Producer Responsibility Programme (EPR) has made it mandatory for producers to design products and packaging that can be recycled or reused in line with Circular Economy.

Barikor made the disclosure on Tuesday, while entertaining questions on NESREA Half Hour, an environmental programme by NESREA in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps, that airs on the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM Abuja.

Represented by the Assistant Director Plastic, Engr. Chukwudi Nwabuisiaku, Prof. Barikor described the Circular Economy as an economic system where products and packaging are designed to last, and their packaging at post-consumer stage or end-of-life are managed in a manner that such products can be recycled, reused, upgraded, repurposed or upcycled.

He said, “If you are producing anything, think of the end-of life of that product, it’s take-back, and what else it can be used for. Therefore, the responsibility of the producer is extended to the post-consumer stage or end-of-life.”

Barikor also stated that all producers are mandated to register with the relevant Producer Responsibility Organisation of their product’s sector, adding that here are Existing PROs in the country for the Food & Beverage , Battery, Electrical and Electronics and Tyre Sectors where the programme has already kicked off.

He said the agency was also partnering with a Fintech company to strengthen the implementation framework for the formalization of the downstream operators of the value chain and ensuring that waste pickers and collectors are properly trained and incentivized by the Producer Responsibility Organisations.

Producers Are Mandated to Embrace Circular Economy with Recycling and Reuse as Fundamentals

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Jonathan, Marwa, Onyema, 16 Others to Be Honoured at DICAN Conference

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Jonathan, Marwa, Onyema, 16 Others to Be Honoured at DICAN Conference

By: Michael Mike

A convergence of Nigeria’s diplomatic community, security stakeholders, policy experts, and scholars is set to take place in Abuja on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, as the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) hosts the first-ever Diplomatic/Security International Conference, focusing on the intersection of diplomacy, national security, and Nigeria’s 4D Foreign Policy Strategy: Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora spearheaded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.

This groundbreaking gathering, themed “Nigeria’s 4Ds Foreign Policy Strategy Amidst Global Security Challenges, Strategic Misperceptions, and the Age of Disinformation: The Role of Diplomacy, Intelligence, and Media in Shaping National and Global Stability.” is a timely response to the growing need for informed, cross-sectoral collaboration in safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and global interests.

It will bring together seasoned diplomats, representatives of foreign missions, security chiefs, media professionals, researchers, and civil society actors to dissect key issues shaping the nation’s international engagement and internal stability.

Chairman of DICAN, Idehai Frederick, described the conference as a bold intellectual platform aimed at bridging the gap between security policy, diplomatic action, and media accountability.

According to him, “Nigeria is undergoing a deep recalibration of its foreign policy doctrine under the 4D framework. We believe the media has a crucial role in amplifying these strategies, while experts and diplomats must align security and diplomacy with real-time global shifts. This conference offers that synergy.”

He said in recognition of outstanding contributions to diplomacy, peacebuilding, national cohesion, and security sector reforms, DICAN will present the prestigious DICAN Award of Excellence to 20 distinguished personalities and institutions who have demonstrated unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s progress and international stature.

Among those to be honoured are:

Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, for his enduring efforts in peace diplomacy and conflict resolution across Africa;

Retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), for his trailblazing anti-narcotics reforms;

Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, for fostering regional connectivity, crisis evacuation, and supporting national diplomacy through aviation logistics;

The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Nigeria, for its consistent diplomatic engagement and support for bilateral cooperation.

Others on the honour list include top security operatives, humanitarian actors, and institutions whose work has strengthened Nigeria’s international presence and internal security architecture.

The conference, will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, and thought leadership sessions, with prominent speakers including: Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (Chief Host), The Minister of Defence, The Minister of Interior, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS,

The Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Nigeria, Mohamed Fouad,

As well as Nigeria’s Service Chiefs and select heads of foreign missions.

DICAN, as the umbrella body for journalists covering the diplomatic and foreign affairs beats in Nigeria, views this international conference not just as a media initiative, but as a national dialogue to reinforce Nigeria’s place in global diplomacy while confronting existential security challenges.

According to Idehai, “We are living in an era where diplomacy is not just about embassies and bilateral meetings. It is now an essential tool in combating transnational threats, shaping economic development, and projecting national interest. This conference creates that rare space for reflective, inclusive discourse.”
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