The 48th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region Conference held in Owerri, the Imo State capital made quite some resolutions, CHIDIEBERE IWUOHA, captures the details.
Matching Visions with Actions:
President Muhammadu Buhari, the Special Quest of Honour, who was represented by Vice President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo in the opening address charged members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Africa Region to match their lofty visions with cogent and verifiable actions.
According to the president, doing this would help the entire continent to achieve “Africa Agenda 2063: Vision Master Plan” and it would also make the dream of Africa a reality. He enjoined both the legislature and executive arms to work in harmony in order to achieve their goals for the people.
The President described the 2017 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Africa Region Conference with the theme “Africa Agenda 2063: Vision and Masterplan” as laudable and a step in the right direction.
Osibanjo, who prayed for the continued sustenance of the success story ever after, observed that the problem of Nigeria as a country was not that of planning but implementation of plans, which he said that both the executive and the legislature have major roles to play.
Okorocha’s Call on Free Education Legislation:
In his welcome address, the host Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha called on African lawmakers to put in place in their various countries and states laws that would give every child the opportunity to access education freely.
The Governor emphasized that “it was imperative to give youths in Africa the enabling environment to exhibit their talents”. He described as worrisome the sight of African children of school age roaming the streets, hawking, or doing some menial jobs during school hours because such a child had nobody or money to see him through school.
In his own words, “It is pertinent that children of the poorest in Africa Region will also acquire education to help them attain the greatest height of their God given talents.”
Senate President’s Message:
Senator representing Imo North Senatorial District(Okigwe zone), Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, who stood in for the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, observed that the agricultural potential in Africa Region had the potentialities to feed the entire world.
He, therefore, called on all lawmakers in the African Commonwealth of nations to encourage agriculture through adequate legislation on improved irrigation, farm implements and better markets, adding that “ when lawmakers enact enabling laws, the job of executives become simpler translating to the happiness of everybody.”
The Senate President also advocated for the enacting of laws that would accommodate women in governance instead of laws that would project them as weaker vessels that could not be efficient in government activities.
CPA President’s Welcome Speech:
While welcoming all the parliamentarians to the conference, the President of CPA and the Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon.(Dr) Acho Ihim called on members to explore the abundant investment opportunities in the state as Imo State was endowed with abundant human and material resources. He urged them to move beyond conferences and ensure that some of the laudable outcome of the numerous past conferences had direct impact on the development of the African continent.
He disclosed that the determination and resolve of the 27 elected Assembly members in Imo State to work in synergy with the Imo State Executive Council had paid off.
Ihim lamented that Africa was seen as land of opportunities and the land for next economic growth destination, yet “conflicts, terrorism,wars,weak institutions, and lack of good governance…” created conditions that hatched poverty and under development in Africa.
Women’s Position in Governance:
In her own contribution, the member representing Ihitte Uboma State in the Imo State House of Assembly and member Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the conference, Hon. Dr. Mrs Uche Ejiogu, called for greater roles for women in Legislative and other Leadership positions in Africa. She urged women in any position of authority to always exhibit humility whenever they found themselves in any position of authority.
Also reacting, the Deputy Speaker, National Assembly of Cameroun, Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, lamented that women were being marginalized. She expressed dismay that men did not take women seriously in governance alleging women usually carry pregnancy leading to absence from work for months and other inhibitions which they capitalized on to marginalize women. She however assured that they would continue to be at their best in order to be on top.
Resolutions Passed:
The resolutions passed by the parliamentarians centred around removing some socio-political and cultural bottlenecks against women or the girl child in Africa; free movement of people, goods and services, common passport, common market, single customs and monetary union; silencing the guns to achieve peace, conflict resolution, post conflict trauma management and the development of a new security architecture by the year 2020; and fight against infrastructure deficit, the challenge of mobilizing domestic resources for funding Agenda 2063 programmes and projects.
Reactions and Experiences from Owerri CPA Conference:
Some lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly, namely Hon. Mrs Ngozi Obiefule of Isu, Hon Mrs Uju Onwudiwe of Njaba, Hon Mike Iheanetu of Aboh Mbaise, Hon Nkenna Nzeruo of Oru east, and Hon Chukwuemeka Loyd of Owerri North State constituencies congratulated themselves for hosting a wonderful conference. Loyd went on to ask for more, saying that they would be glad once again to host the continent. On the promise of Mrs Gladys Kokore of Botswana to host a better CPA Conference in 2018, he said he wished her well, considering the fact that every good father would like his son to do better than he did.
Also reacting, former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Amaechi Nwoha commended the current State House of Assembly for their ability to carry out his vision. But was not happy that he and other past honourable members were not given due recognition during the conference as it was his brain child.
He recalled that he single handedly, registered Imo State with the association in 2005, when he moved a motion that Imo should belong to one of the international parliamentary associations. He said he saw the need why Imo should join the league of international organizations in order to cross-fertilize ideas and be informed on international happenings and initiated the move.
Hon. Nwoha disclosed that the then Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa approved and released funds for the project. Later, he himself was nominated to go and represent and register the state at Khartmandu, Nepal via Fuji Island, after which the state continued attending other conferences.
He made it clear that all over the world these resolutions were persuasive but not laws that must be obeyed and added that they had persuasive effects and that only unserious governments could ignore them.
A South African delegate of Indian decent, Nerusha Naidoo, who said her visit to Owerri was her third in Nigeria after Lagos and Abuja in 2006, said they had memorable experiences while in Imo State. She said that she was happy to see nice structures such as the Imo International Conference Centre (IICC), Imo Trade and Investment Centre(ITIC), the Eze Imo Palace, tunnels and the irons across some roads meant for decoration, the Priceless Supermarket where they went for shopping and would like to be in Imo again.
Commenting on the honour given to her president by Imo State a few days ago, she said it was nice but could not say exactly what led to that gesture in a foreign land, adding that it was difficult to see Jacob Zuma’s bill board in South Africa.
The conference which began on the 20th and ended on the 26th of October,2017, was well attended by legislators from Nigeria and so many African countries that make up the Commonwealth Africa, like Ghana, Uganda Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Cameroun, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Tanzania etc.
