He underscored the need for member states of ECOWAS to take critical introspection about the organisation’s achievements and challenges.
Mr. Bedzrah entreated parliamentarians in the sub-region to live up to the expectations of their citizens by committing themselves to doing better to improve the lots of their constituents.
In a statement on the floor of Parliament, in Accra, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Bedzrah said ECOWAS member states must engage in a profound and unflinching reflection on the trajectory of the Community’s journey and chart the way forward towards ensuring growth and prosperity.
The legislator urged his colleague legislators to strive to enhance their legitimacy, strengthen accountability mechanisms, and improve the responsiveness to the needs and aspirations of the people they represented by ensuring that their voices were heard.
“We must say that we are not merely celebrating a milestone; we are compelled to engage in a profound and unflinching reflection on the trajectory of our journey,” he said, adding, “This is a time for critical introspection, a time to acknowledge not only the considerable achievements that have marked our path but also the complex and multifaceted challenges that now confront us.”
The Legislator said: “As we celebrate this golden jubilee, we are reminded of our shared aspirations for peace, development, and prosperity. But we are also confronted with a sobering reality – one that demands not only reflection but urgent and courageous action.”
Mr. Bedzrah noted that the ECOWAS, over the last 50 years, had demonstrated its capacity to shape the course of the sub-region.
From boosting regional economic integration to playing a frontline role in peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction, the legislator observed that the Community had not only survived the political and economic turmoil that afflicted the continent but also reflect on the many successful interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, which stood as testaments to the collective ability to defend democracy and restore constitutional order.
“We have witnessed significant strides in fostering regional peace and stability, facilitating the free movement of people and goods across our borders, promoting trade liberalization to enhance economic growth, and implementing a diverse array of programmes aimed at enhancing the quality of life for our citizens,” the lawmaker stated.
The legislator mentioned infrastructural development to agricultural initiatives, from educational exchanges to cultural collaborations.
The MP for Ho West stated that ECOWAS had played a pivotal role in shaping the destiny of the sub-region.
However, he said, despite those successes over the past five decades, the Community cannot ignore the significant setbacks that currently threaten the integration and cooperation of the Community.
“West Africa’s regional bloc, the ECOWAS, faces disintegration. We are witnessing, perhaps more than ever before, the growing fragmentation of our bloc. Recent years have seen challenges to the stability of the bloc, including political unrest, security threats, and the withdrawal of countries from the bloc,” he recalled.
On January 28, 2024, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced via a joint statement that they were withdrawing from ECOWAS “without delay”, following the military takeovers.
The withdrawal was granted in January 2025 – even though the tide can still be reversed until July 2025.
The legislator stressed: “Today, other countries are expressing dissatisfaction with our union’s effectiveness and responsiveness.
“The very notion of a united, peaceful, and integrated West Africa now appears under siege,”
He mentioned security challenges, ranging from the escalating menace of terrorism and violent extremism that spill across the porous borders to the scourge of transnational organized crime, including drug and human trafficking, and the persistent threat of maritime piracy disrupting trade and endangers the lives of the people.
Mr. Bedzrah noted that the proliferation of those threats had not only created a pervasive climate of fear and uncertainty, but undermined investors’ confidence and hindered economic growth.
“The erosion of public trust in our institutions, including parliaments, is a serious and deeply concerning issue that must be addressed with utmost urgency.
“We stand at a critical juncture in the history of our region, a moment of profound decision that will determine the future of ECOWAS and the fate of millions of our citizens,” Mr. Bedzrah emphasised.
GNA
