The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has called upon African legislative leaders to unite and take decisive legislative action to tackle poverty on the continent.
Addressing the Second General Assembly of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL) in Accra, Speaker Bagbin underscored the urgency of collaborative efforts to overcome shared challenges, including poverty, ignorance, and deprivation.
“Let us remember that no single country can address these challenges alone. We are politically, culturally, and economically interconnected, and collective action is therefore necessary,” he stated, urging African nations to work together in overcoming these long-standing obstacles to development.
CoSPAL, established as a platform to bring together Speakers and Presidents of legislatures from across Africa, aims to mobilize parliamentary support for the continent’s growth and sustainable development agenda.
The two-day assembly in Accra is set to deliberate on key issues, including the adoption of a Draft Constitution formulated by the Interim Technical Working Group (ITWG), originally tasked with this mission at the first General Assembly held in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2022.
As Speaker Bagbin stressed, CoSPAL was not established to compete with existing organizations or replicate their objectives but rather to complement their work from the unique vantage point of Africa’s parliamentary leaders.
He called on African parliaments to work in concert with their respective governments and civil society to drive forward the aspirations of African citizens and secure a brighter future for the continent.
“African parliaments must not operate on the sidelines but rather place themselves at the heart of efforts to address socio-economic issues, environmental challenges, and security threats. COSPAL is a crucial platform for us, as legislative leaders, to establish a unified front to deliberate on Africa’s challenges and champion coordinated solutions,” Speaker Bagbin remarked.
He also emphasized that parliaments worldwide, and those in Africa in particular, play pivotal roles in democratic governance and socio-economic development through their representation, legislation, and oversight.
However, he cautioned that Africa’s legislative bodies are increasingly strained by global economic challenges, climate change impacts, and security issues—all of which shape the dynamics of modern governance on the continent.
In his remarks, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, former Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, highlighted Africa’s wealth in natural resources, urging African leaders to harness these assets to drive continental development.
Likewise, Mr. Vital Kamerhe, President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Congo and a member of the Association Parliamentaire de la Francophonie’s board, appealed for an end to conflict, advocating peace as a necessary foundation for Africa’s progress.
As the CoSPAL conference unfolds, African legislative leaders are expected to continue discussions on strengthening parliamentary collaboration, expanding diplomatic efforts, and aligning closely with the African Union to meet the continent’s development goals.
Source:expressnewsghana.com