New PAP seeks to mould a better Africa

George Maponga in Masvingo

The Pan African Parliament (PAP) continues to make inroads in projecting a renewed thrust to involve African peoples in the continent’s government matrix with its President Chief Fortune Charumbira saying the continental legislative body was now truly back in action and fully operational and geared to deliver a better Africa for its citizens.

Giving a solidarity speech at the 2022 Second Ordinary Session of the 5th legislature of the ECOWAS parliament in Abuja, Nigeria yesterday, Chief Charumbira said the new PAP is pulling all the stops to make sure African people are the biggest winners of the new dividend of renewal and reinvigoration of the African parliamentary body.

Chief Charumbira noted that the new PAP Bureau that he leads is driving the continental legislative body on a new trajectory that seeks to add impetus to the AU’s drive to make Africa prosperous for the benefit of its citizens.

He commended ECOWAS parliament for implementing the principle of rotation in its structures which he says is the new bedrock and foundation of the new PAP which was ushered into office on June 29 this year thanks to the adoption of the principle of rotation.

“Rotational leadership brings predictability, predictability breeds certainty, certainty fosters stability and stability engenders peace,” said Chief Charumbira. The PAP president challenged the ECOWAS parliament and all ECOWAS structures to jealously guard the principle of rotation which he said is the cornerstone of “equity and justice in our institutions”.

Chief Charumbira disclosed that PAP had amended its Rules of Procedure to incorporate rotation in its rules.

The PAP leader highlighted the important role the ECOWAS parliament play in engendering socio-economic development in West Africa saying the West African legislative body and PAP were “simply different veins of the same heart(AU)”.

He graced the ECOWAS parliament in the spirit of reciprocity after the latter’s speaker Dr Sidie Mohammed Tunis honoured an invite to attend the just-ended First Ordinary Session of the 6th parliament of PAP in Midrand, South Africa.

The PAP president once again decried the scourge of coups and coups within coups blighting trees of democracy and constitutionalism in some African states saying such developments militate against the AU’s theme of silencing guns across the continent to give its citizens a chance to build the grow the arc of socio-economic development.

As per its founding preamble, the ECOWAS parliament was established to primarily, “ensure full participation of the West African peoples in the economic development and integration of the region(West Africa)”.

Present in Abuja was Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Guinea-Bissau President Umano Sissoco Embalo who is also the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government chairperson, among others.