Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has identified inequity, natural resource depletion, and disrespect for human rights and rule of law as major setbacks to prosperity, peace, security, and sustainable development in the Commonwealth.
Ekweremadu stated this in London yesterday while addressing the opening session of the inaugural Commonwealth Parliamentarians’ Forum currently engaging on the agenda themes of the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled for London in April this year.
He commended CHOGM 2018 for focusing on boosting intra Common wealth trade and investment, increasing cooperation on the war against global terrorism and organised crimes, building member states’ resilience to deal with the effects of climate change, and promoting democratic values across member nations.
Ekweremadu said it was high time the Commonwealth transcended the Commonwealth of Nations to Commonwealth of People to ensure that everybody counted. “The truth is that the world may never enjoy true prosperity and sustainability in the absence of security, justice, and fairness.
Security itself is a direct derivative from fairness and prosperity. “So long as there is injustice, unequal or unfair distribution of resources, opportunities, and prosperity; so long as unabated hunger, poverty, and preventable diseases pillage the overwhelming majority, for so long will peace and security continue to elude the world,” he said.
