By Innocent Odoh and Punarimam Fehintola in Lome, Togo
The ECOWAS Parliament has called on Member states of the regional bloc to ensure effective application of ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons and goods and on the right of residence even as it called for sanctions against those who fail to implement the protocols.
This development was contained in the report of the draft resolution of the ECOWAS Parliament on the implementation of the Protocol on Free movement, Right of Residence and Establishment in the region, presented to the Plenary at the ongoing Third Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Lome, Togo.
The report, which was considered and adopted, by the plenary and subject to approval, was the outcome of the Delocalised meeting of the joint Committee on Trade, Customs and Free Movement/ political Affairs, peace, security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Social Affairs, Gender, Women Empowerment and Persons With Disabilities / Legal Affairs and Human Rights held in Banjul earlier in September.
The Resolution tasked member states to “ ensure the effective application of ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons and goods and on the right of residence; adopt and effectively implement clear and adequate sanction mechanisms against member states and officials who fail to implement the community text; Reconcile the need for free movement, trade facilitation, and public security requirements.”
A member of the joint committee, who presented the resolution to the plenary in Lome, Dr. Suleiman Abubakar, from Nigeria, told reporters in an interview that the committee had recommended the elimination of the issuance of the residence permits in the region in accordance with the community texts.
Abubakar, who was the First Rapporteur of the joint committee, said “We had a firsthand experience where we met stakeholders in the Gambia, and people from different parts of the West African sub region and heard from them directly about some restrictions on free movement. They are still being asked to pay money and this issue of residence permit came up. So, we have decided we no longer want a residence permit, all you need is to do a finger biometric and you become a citizen anywhere you want to be in West Africa.”
He lamented that in some countries people are still being asked to pay levies even on goods as well as being forced to pay taxes at the border lines, stressing that the implementation of the protocol has been very poor.
“We recommended that no more Residence permit in the West African sub- region. Anyone that wishes to settle in another member state of the region should just do a finger biometric. There are many other recommendations that will enable people to conduct their businesses across the borders without any hindrance,” he said.
The Resolution also demanded that member states should accelerate the issuance of biometric identity cards and ensure its uniformity and accessibility to citizens. It called on member states to include modules on the Community text in the training of immigration and customs officers.
