Deputy Speaker Barau Emerges ECOWAS Parliament’s Acting Speaker

Jibrin Barau, the Nigerian Deputy Senate President, has emerged as the acting speaker of the sixth Legislature of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States. 

Barau took the oath of office as acting Speaker on Thursday at the assembly’s first meeting in Abuja, after leading the Nigerian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament,.

Awaji-Inombek Abiante, the first Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, proposed Barau, and Senator Ireti Kingibe seconded the nomination.

Decision A/DEC. 6/06/06 of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government created a rotating system, and the Republic of Togo was designated as the zone for the Speakership of the sub-regional body’s Sixth Legislature.

However, the Republic of Togo’s delegation was not present for the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS’s inauguration, thus Edwin Snowe, a Liberian, was chosen as Speaker Pro-tempore.

Snowe chaired the first meeting of the Parliament, which included choosing the four deputy speakers.

He noted that until the Togolese delegation is sworn in, Barau, the first Deputy Speaker, will preside over the Parliament as Speaker in order to avoid creating a void.

The second Deputy Speaker was Adjaratou Traore Coulibaly from Côte D’Ivoire; the third Deputy Speaker was Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin from Ghana; and the fourth Deputy Speaker was Billay G. Tunkara from Gambia. [CONTINUE READING HERE]