Nigerian Foreign Affairs Committee calls on Speaker

Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker of Parliament on Wednesday stressed the need for members of the West African Sub-Region to have a common currency and free movement of goods and services to facilitate the integration of its peoples.

He said such an integration would not only ensure interaction amongst the people but it would also let the people see themselves as one and not strangers in each other's country.

Mr Adjetey said this when he received a 15-member Nigerian Parliamentary delegation led by Representative Chimaobi Nwakanma, Deputy Chairman, House Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Nigeria's National Assembly at his office.

The delegation is on a four-day reciprocal visit to prepare for the establishment of an ECOWAS Parliament. It would pay a courtesy call on President John Kufuor and hold meetings with the Foreign Affairs Committee of Ghana's Parliament.

Mr Adjetey said there were many benefits to be derived from co-operation and integration but unfortunately it seemed the countries in the Sub-Region have not moved fast enough to remove the various obstacles.

The Speaker said Ghana and Nigeria were kingpins on the political scenario of the Sub-Region and as such they needed to co-operate on all matters and to critically develop all sectors to their mutual benefit.

Mr Nwakanma said their visit was a reciprocal one to the one made last year by a Ghanaian delegation and commended Ghana for the warm reception accorded them.

He said the visit was also to build a bridge between the two Parliaments and facilitate cooperation.

Mr Nwakanma said the two Parliaments have to be pragmatic in developing their democracies for the benefit of their people and called for support to ensure the sustenance of democratic rule in the Sub-Region.

He said Foreign Affairs Committees play important role in strengthening the work of the Executive and so they should be encouraged to come out with decisions for integration.