President of ECOWAS Parliament instructs member states to deploy ICTs in the fight against terrorism

President of the ECOWAS Parliament, Dr Sidie Mohamed Tuni instructed member states to adopt the use of telecommunications information technology to combat violent crime and terrorism facing Africa.

Dr Tunis said that ECOWAS is currently affected by terrorism, humanitarian crises, violence and the current global pandemic sweeping the world.

He says the growing phenomenon would require technology to combat such events.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the delocalized meeting of an ECOWAS Joint Committee currently underway in Winneba, the President of the ECOWAS Parliament implored Member States to use digitization and technology in the conduct of elections in Africa to reduce the tensions that characterize elections in the sub-region.

He said the deliberations of the joint committee over the next few days would ultimately lead to some recommendations for the ECOWAS community.

Not only would recommendations be made, but he said that the ECOWAS region which is currently affected by violent extremism, terrorism, humanitarian crisis and global pandemics, members should consider the merits of the latest technological advances, innovations and intelligence as viable tools to combat insecurity.

The President of the ECOWAS Parliament further called on member states to digitize their legal systems as this is a development that has come to stay, adding that he has no doubt that it will make life easier for citizens.

He further adds that it goes without saying that peace can only prevail in a society where justice and equity reign.

“It is relevant to consider the conduct of elections which is the basis of democracy and good governance given this digital age. Elections in the region continue to attract much discussion as the community has yet to reach the stature of the most advanced democracies where citizens express their rights through free and fair elections, thereby making their voices heard and respect their choices, ”he said.

Ghanaian Parliament Speaker Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has tasked ECOWAS leaders to help fight the importation of small arms and child trafficking. He says that the conduct of the elections in the sub-region is creating acrimonies and tensions and that something urgent must be done about it.

He said that the violation of electoral processes in the conduct of elections was also a major source of conflict leading to violence and tension in some countries in the sub-region.

He added that it was sad that these tensions resulted from non-consensual constitutional revisions and other misunderstandings. “We have to find a way to solve this problem,” he said.

The deputy majority leader of the Ghanaian Parliament who is also the leader of the Ghanaian ECOWAS Parliament, Alexander Afenyo Markin, said there was a lot to be done to provide computing resources for children in Africa. He suggests: “This is the only way to ensure that our continent has a future and to be able to break the chains of poverty and illiteracy.

Over the next few days, Winneba will host the ECOWAS parliament and the House is expected to deliberate on some of the challenges affecting the populations of the sub-region.