ECOWAS Must Move Beyond Treaties to Touch Lives – Osahen Afenyo-Markin
Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and Minority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament, Osahen Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has called on members of the regional parliament to remain closely connected to the people they represent if ECOWAS is to achieve its development and integration objectives.
He said regional integration must go beyond treaties, protocols and institutional meetings and translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens across West Africa.
Hon Afenyo-Markin made the call in his opening address at the joint opening of the Second Parliamentary Seminar and the 2026 Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Accra on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
The seminar is being held under the theme: “Climate Change, Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Growing Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region.”
Reflecting on his experience in the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Afenyo-Markin said his years of service had strengthened his conviction that the regional institution must constantly engage with the people in whose name it operates.
“My journey in this Parliament has strengthened my conviction that ECOWAS must remain close to the people in whose name we serve. Regional integration must be understood beyond treaties, protocols and meetings of institutions,” he said.
According to him, the true value of regional integration should be felt directly in communities through improved opportunities for young people, easier movement of citizens and businesses across borders, and stronger collective responses to challenges confronting the region.
“Its true value must be felt in our communities, in the opportunities available to our young people, in the movement of our citizens and businesses across borders, and in our collective ability to respond to challenges that no member state can successfully confront alone,” he stressed.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also drew attention to the complex relationship between environmental pressures and insecurity in the region, cautioning against attributing every conflict solely to climate change.
He explained that climate change could, however, intensify existing vulnerabilities by worsening poverty, increasing competition over land and water resources and placing additional pressure on already fragile communities.
“Without reducing every conflict to climate change alone, climate change can intensify existing pressures, worsen poverty, deepen competition over land and water, and weaken livelihoods,” he said.
The Minority Leader also advocated taking the activities of the ECOWAS Parliament beyond national capitals to bring regional integration closer to ordinary citizens.
He cited the Parliament’s previous engagements outside traditional political centres, including a parliamentary seminar held in Liberia in 2019 and subsequent activities in Ghana and other parts of the region.
Mr Afenyo-Markin recalled that in 2021, the ECOWAS Parliament held a parliamentary seminar and extraordinary session in Winneba, in his Efutu constituency, describing the occasion as an important opportunity for local communities to directly engage with the regional institution.
“For the people of Efutu, this was about much more than hosting distinguished visitors. Our traditional authorities, the University of Education, Winneba, businesses, young people and the wider community had the opportunity to encounter the work of ECOWAS and participate in their own way in regional integration,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction that the practice of taking major parliamentary activities beyond national capitals was continuing, citing engagements in Kano and Port Harcourt and the Parliament’s plans to extend the initiative to other parts of the region.
Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is concluding his tenure as leader of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, also formally handed over the leadership of the Ghanaian delegation to the Deputy Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, Kweku Ricketts-Hagan.
He expressed confidence in Mr Ricketts-Hagan’s ability to lead the delegation, citing his experience, commitment to parliamentary diplomacy and understanding of regional integration.
“I have every confidence that he will bring to this responsibility his considerable experience, commitment to parliamentary diplomacy and understanding of the importance of regional integration,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin assured his successor of his continued support, stressing that leadership was ultimately about service and continuity.
“Leadership is ultimately about service and continuity,” he stated, adding that he remained committed to contributing to the work of the ECOWAS Parliament as its Third Deputy Speaker.
He urged participants at the seminar to ensure that their deliberations produced practical outcomes capable of improving the lives of citizens across West Africa.
“I trust that the deliberations we have had, and will continue to have, will translate into practical outcomes for the people we represent,” he said.
He reaffirmed his commitment to a more integrated, peaceful and prosperous West Africa.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
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