Portuguese Speaking Parliamentarians Threaten To Pull Out of ECOWAS On Perceived Marginalisation

The final sitting of the 39 member ad hoc committee on the consideration of the draft consolidated community budget for the year 2022 was delayed by over four hours due to severe protest by the Portuguese speaking Parliamentarians who threatened to withdraw from every engagements of ECOWAS.

The Portuguese speaking member states’ agitation came as a result of being omitted during the distribution of translated working documents during the final sitting of the committee in Abuja.

Expressing the worries to the adhoc committee, one of the Portuguese speaking parliamentarian, Gabriela Alfredo Fernandes said the act of them being marginalized or excluded most of the times in the affairs of ECOWAS is a recurring event which must be stopped.

She insisted that henceforth they will never allow themselves to be treated as a second fiddle in the affairs of the Parliament.

The situation which the committee condemned in strong term was however, brought under control by the parliamentarians.

The Chairman of the adhoc committee, Senator Ali Ndume who shared the pains of his colleagues said strong recommendation would be made to the leadership of ECOWAS Parliament to forestall future occurrence.