2nd December, 2012
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
A conference to be organized by Pan-African Parliament on African governance platform and promotion of African Union legal instruments of African charter on the values and principles of public service and administration will hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from Tuesday 4 December to Thursday 6 December, 2012, at the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The Pan African conference will also focus on various charter on democracy elections and good governance.
Addressing the press in Port Harcourt, today, the Chairman, Parliamentary Exchange and Mentorship Programme (PEMP) of the Pan-African Parliament and Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, said the workshop which will bring together speakers of National Parliaments in West African region, members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) from the Western region.
Others expected to attend include: representatives of the African Union, representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Ministers of West African Community in members States is aimed at contributing to African Union (AU) effort in promoting good governance in Africa.
Kwanee also said that the Conference is aimed at fostering the conclusions of the 16th AU summit of Heads of States and sensitize members states to ratify the charter and thus enhance efficiency, effectiveness and improvement of quality of public services in Africa.
The workshop will offer a forum for the Pan-African Parliament to plan and engage with regional economic communities and regional parliamentary fora in order to build synergies and develop a framework within the Pan-African Parliament and the regional economic communities.
The international event is being hosted by the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of Otelemaba Dan Amachree.
The occasion will feature several international and national personalities such as AU commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi and Speaker of House of Representatives of the Frederal Republic of Nigeria, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. The Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is the Special Guest of Honour.
The theme of the workshop is “Promoting Good Governance In Africa”- African Governance Platform and Promotion of African Union Legal Instruments.
It would be recalled that the Pan-African Parliament was inaugurated on 18 March 2004, as established under Article 17 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union,as one of the organs provided for in the treaty establishing the African Economic Community,which was signed in Abuja, Nigeria, in 1991.
The establishment of the Pan-African Parliament is informed by a vision to provide a common platform for African peoples and their grassroots organization to be more involved in discussions and decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the continent.
In addition,the Parliamentary Exchange and Mentorship Programme( PEMP) of the Pan-African Parliament, as instituted through the Regional Focal Office for the Western Caucus in Abuja is an international legislative initiative that seeks to enhance the capacity of state lawmakers through network and inter-parliamentary collaboration with international legislators.