By Linus Aleke

The Community Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), otherwise known as ECOWAS Parliament, has set up an eleven member ad hoc
committee to interface with Niger military junta, with a view to finding lasting solution to the political impase.

This is as the Parliament appealed to the appropriate ECOWAS authority to review the sanctions on Niger coupists as the community members are the one bearing the brunt.

The ad hoc committee, which, is lead by the First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Rt. Hon. Idris Wase, is also, mandated to interface with the military juntas in Guinea, Mali, and Burkina Faso to accelerate the return to democratic rule in the West African countries.

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The move, which, is part of the Parliamentary Diplomacy, to support the mediation effort of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, in sustaining democratic governance in the subregion, was part of resolutions reached at the end of the Virtual Extra Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Parliament, convened by the Speaker to delibrate on the Niger political crisis.

The committee are to report back to the Parliament for further legislative actions.

During the plenary, a Nigerian MP, Senator Abiodun Christine Olujimi, urged ECOWAS to look beyond the surface in finding lasting solution to the Niger political impase.

She said that the support the coupists in Niger enjoys from citizens should not be taken for granted.

“Let us look back and be circumspect. Our people are copycat, and they like to copy bad things. We need to dig deep to find out the real reason for the coup,” she said.

Noting that intervention of Parliament is key in resolving the political impase in Niger, Sen. Olujimi, said, “We need to legislate on the issue of coup d’etat to forestall future occurrence”.

MPs urged ECOWAS authority to relax the sanctions so that those it is made to protect should not die of diseases and starvation.

The Parliament also muted the idea of engaging the super powers who had been fingered to be behind the crisis in Niger, so as to find a middle ground in resolving the crisis permanently.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Dr. Sidie Mohammed Tunis reiterated call for the unconditional release of the president by the coupists.

He urged the coupists to restore constitutional order in the country and return to their statutory duties of protecting the territorial integrity of the country.