The Acting Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria’s Senator Jibrin Barau has said that the Second Extraordinary Session of the Parliament which commenced in Kano, North-West Nigeria, was an avenue for interaction and business relations.
The Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian Senate said this when he led a delegation of Members of the Sixth Legislature of the regional legislature to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, at his palace on Monday, as part of activities lined up for the session in the ancient city.
Parliamentarians from 12 countries including Nigeria, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote D’ Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Republic of Togo, are participating in the second extraordinary session of the parliament.
Speaking during the visit, Senator Barau explained that Kano was selected for the second extraordinary session to bring the ECOWAS Parliament closer to the people.
He said the session in Kano “will bring the ECOWAS Parliament closer to the people at the grassroots. It will also create an avenue for interactions and business relations. The dream of our founding fathers is to unite us through ECOWAS.
“The emir is the custodian of our tradition and religion. We are here to seek his blessings and register our respect for the emirate and the emir. Your Royal Highness, we also want to seek your prayers for the event to be successful.”
In his remarks, the Emir of Kano thanked the parliamentarians for the visit and prayed for the successful conduct of the extraordinary session of the parliament.
The Emir, while commending Barau for facilitating the hosting of the session in Kano, urged the parliamentarians to explore business opportunities in the state.
He also prayed for peace and stability in Nigeria and the entire sub-region.
