The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has advocated for more economic ties and cooperation among the 54 African nations, highlighting the need to eliminate artificial borders that restrict free movement.
Kalu made the call When Hon. Joseph Ntakirutimana, Speaker of the East Africa Legislative Assembly, paid him a courtesy visit in his office yesterday. The parliaments of several African nations were encouraged by the deputy speaker of Nigeria to review any laws that restrict free trade and immigration.
Additionally, he criticized the xenophobic acts in some African nations, noting that they impede progress and unity.
“If you’re a member of the African Union, why the borders and limitations? More than they have raised the continent to stand shoulder to shoulder among the committee of continents, the limits have stunted its development. These we must take seriously, and we must convey this message to the parliaments of each of our nations so they can assess our diverse stances on the matter.
The ECOWAS parliament’s speaker, Hon. Tunis, had earlier stressed the importance of African unity and praised Nigeria for her dedication to ECOWAS.
“The nation guiding the region is Nigeria. Nigeria in ECOWAS is like the United States at the UN, as I explained to the EALA Speaker in my office today. Most of the funding for our budget comes from Nigeria. We don’t even let them get upset as a consequence of this. We’ll start to feel sick when they become angry,” he said.
SOURCE: Leadership
IMAGE: DW
