LIZZY OKOJI FROM NEWS DIARY ONLINE
Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has said that inclusion of marginalized, and vulnerable groups in governance is key to mitigating the crisis in the sub-region.
Tunis made this known on Tuesday at the opening of the delocalized meeting of the Joint Committees of the ECOWAS Parliament on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and the African Peer Review Mechanism, Judicial Affairs and Human rights, Social Affairs, Gender and Women Empowerment in Monrovia, Liberia.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Committee was meeting on the theme “Enhancing Political Inclusivity in the Participatory Governance Process: A mechanism for promoting Peace and Security.
According to Tunis, Inequality has been identified as one of the major factors causing rising crisis, including military coups and insecurity in the West African subregion.
He however noted that supporting the participation of people from vulnerable and marginalized groups in the decision-making and democratic processes of the societiesis key to continued peace, security and sustainable development.
Tunis acknowledged that every meeting of the Parliament is an opportunity to analyze and make proposals to better understand and control political, economic, and social developments in West Africa.
Tunis, said that the meeting will focus on one of the priorities of ECOWAS Vision 2050, which is to promote good governance and consolidate irreversible peace, security, as well as development in the region, however said: “As we all know, inequality has been one of the bases or causes of subversive acts in our region.
“The marginalization of vulnerable groups from important decision-making processes, particularly ethnic or religious minorities, women and young people, provides fertile ground for conflict of violent extremism.
“We must convince ourselves that supporting the participation of people from vulnerable and marginalized groups in the decision-making…
