Date Published: 10/27/09

Bankole, Jacob Zuma call for full legislative power of Pan African Parliament

Dimeji Bankole

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt.Hon. Dimeji Bankole and South African President, Mr. Jacob Zuma has called for the full legislative power for the Pan African Parliament, PAP, as a means of promoting good governance, the rule of law and democracy in African continent.

The duo made the call at the opening ceremony of the First Ordinary Session of the Second Parliament of the PAP in Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Bankole in a solidarity address to the session said the decision to transform the PAP into a full fledge legislative body for the African Union, AU is commendable and would receive support from Nigeria for its fruition  stressing in the interim national Parliaments should serve as effective watchdog of funds they appropriate for the good of the people.

Bankole stated that the platform of PAP offers opportunity to cooperate as elected representative of the people and ensure that Africa begin to do things differently in line with international best practices of good governance, rule of law and democracy

While warning against threats to democratic governments in Africa, Bankole notes with dismay that “countries like Uganda, Chad, and Cameroon are beginning to tinker with their constitutions to perpetuate their leaders in office, a development compounded by recent coups in Guinea, Mauritania, Madagascar and Niger Republic.”

On ways to promote good governance in Africa Bankole advocated the establishment of Government Accountability Offices by African parliament as this is the surest way to curb corruption and ensure that parliaments are not dependent on the executives alone for information on their legislative duties.

On his part, Mr. Zuma said PAP are representatives of the people of Africa and carries the hopes and aspirations of the people adding that it is desirable that the body transforms into a legislative body with full legislative power for Africa and full adult suffrage for it election across Africa.

The South African President said PAP and National parliaments have a major role to play in the enthronement of the rule of law, good governance and deepening democracy adding that PAP should help in elucidating the concept of democracy, rule of law and elections to make them of common applicability across Africa

He urged all African states to ratify the protocols establishing PAP adding that South Africa will continue to support PAP to move from its advisory status now to a full legislative body for working for the good of the African continent.

The PAP is a body with members drawn from African democratic countries and a Nigerian Hon, Bethel Amadi, the House of Representatives Aviation Committee chairman is the first vice president to Hon. Idris Kale Musa, the president from Chad.