Parliaments have been urged to collaborate in order to prevent unrest on the African continent

The Rt. Hon. Lord Boateng of the UK House of Lords’ International Relations and Defense Committee and the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, have both expressed concern over the Sahel region’s security situation and its potential to spread to other parts of West Africa.

In order to give growth and development in Africa a chance, they urged the UK Parliament, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), and the Parliaments in Africa to collaborate in order to prevent the potential effects of the current insecurity in some areas of the continent.

The two were conversing at a private meeting in Westminster, London’s UK Parliament, where the Speaker of Parliament had led a group of lawmakers to consider various possibilities for cooperation and collaboration. The two parliaments talked about how to successfully perform parliamentary business, handle hung parliaments and small majorities, improve the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight and scrutiny, and foster a cooperative work atmosphere in parliament.

The Sahel region’s security issues need to be resolved right away, according to Rt. Hon. Bagbin, or else they could spread to the entire sub-region. In reference to the current state of security in Burkina Faso and Togo, he claimed that the safety and protection of the populations of those two nations appeared to have been jeopardized because of what is thought to be a significant infiltration by extremists and other forces.

He claimed that Ghana’s security and democracy are seriously threatened by the situation in the Sahel and in West Africa. In order to make Ghana proactive and preventive when it comes to security and the integrity of her borders, the proper tactics and structures are required.

The Speaker praised Rt. Hon. Lord Boateng for his excellent public service in the United Kingdom and noted that during all of his work outside of Ghana, he has remained a great advocate for that nation.

According to Rt. Hon. Lord Boateng, wars like those in Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Mali, among others, have the potential to encourage migration with all of its associated hazards and perils, which is why there is concern. He continued by warning that if action is not taken to defuse these disputes, Africa will suffer irreparable harm and be held behind.

He said the UK wanted to increase trade with Ghana and other African nations, as well as support attempts to improve intra-continental trade, including working through other institutional arrangements and the framework of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He claimed that removing trade barriers, particularly non-tariff ones within Africa and between Africa and Europe, will be crucial on this journey. The safety and security of the African nations will be crucial.

The connection between Ghana and the United Kingdom impressed Lord Boateng, and he was certain that it would continue to improve.

The Rt. Hon. Speaker was accompanied to the meeting by the Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, the Assistant Deputy Clerk, Mr. Ebenezer Djietror, Legal Counsel to the Speaker, Hon. Magnus Kofi Amoatey, the Director of Communication of the Speaker’s Secretariat, Mr. Gayheart Mensah and the Deputy Director of Parliamentary Relations, Mr. Charles Dery Tenzagh.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com