THE Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, is to introduce a single currency in the sub-region by 2020, while it will become effective in English speaking countries in 2015.
Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, made this known at a dinner organized for members of the Administration, Finance and Budget Committee of the organisation after their one week meeting/workshop in Enugu weekend.
Ekweremadu, who is also the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate said his tenure as speaker would see the parliament performing all its legislative functions to the fullest and taking the sub- region to the next level.
In his words: “Our parliament will henceforth screen the list of Commissioners for the Commissions, scrutinize and pass budgets as well as make laws that would transform the sub-region.”
He also said ECOWAS had transformed from being a committee of states to becoming a committee of the people, adding that it was for this reason that the meeting/workshop was drafted to hold in other places other than state capitals as was the practice in the past.
In his speech, Chairman of the Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget of the parliament, Alhaji Farouk Lawan, paid glowing tributes to the speaker of the parliament and called on members to support him to achieve all the laudable dreams he had for sub-region.
In his remarks, the fourth deputy speaker of the parliament, Michael Nyaunu, thanked the speaker, government and people of Enugu State for the hospitality extended to them during their one-week stay in the state; describing the people of the state as peaceful, warm and friendly.