Ghana’s speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and Mr Lord Boateng of the United Kingdom (UK) House of Lords have called on the UK Parliament and other parliamentary associations to work together to prevent the potential impact of the current insecurity in parts of the African continent.
They expressed concern over the security situation in the Sahel region and the possibility of that spreading into other parts of West Africa.
The two were speaking during a private meeting at the UK Parliament in Westminster, London, where Speaker Bagbin had led a parliamentary delegation to discuss various areas of cooperation and collaboration.
A statement issued by the Public Affairs Directorate of Parliament on Tuesday said Speaker Bagbin and Mr Boateng explained that the timely intervention would give impetus to growth and development in Africa.
The two parliaments discussed how to conduct parliamentary business effectively, manage hung parliaments and narrow majorities, make parliamentary scrutiny and oversight more efficient, and promote a collaborative work environment in parliament.
Speaker Bagbin said resolving the security situation in the Sahel region deserved a lot more attention now, or else it could engulf the entire sub-region.
He also referred to the current security situation in Burkina Faso and Togo saying the safety and protection of the citizens in the two countries appeared to have been compromised due to what was believed to be a huge infiltration by extremists and other elements.
According to Speaker Bagbin, the situation in the Sahel and West Africa posed serious threats to Ghana’s security and democracy.
“What is required is the right strategies and structures that will make Ghana proactive and pre-emptive when it comes to security and the integrity of her borders,” he said.
Speaker Bagbin commended Mr Boateng for his outstanding public work in the UK acknowledging how he had continued to be a great ambassador of Ghana in all his work outside the country.
On his part, Mr Boateng, said such conflicts as in Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Mali among others had the potential to fuel migration and its attendant dangers and risks, hence the concern.
He added that if steps were not taken to mitigate these conflicts, they would deal irreparable damage to Africa and hold the continent back.
Mr Boateng who is also of the International Relations and Defense Committee of the UK Parliament, indicated that the UK was looking to use the framework of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
It would also work through other institutional arrangements to enhance trade with Ghana and with other African countries, and to support efforts at improving intra-continental trade.
On this journey, he said: “The removal of trade barriers, especially non-tariff barriers within Africa, and between Africa and Europe will be very critical.”
“Also important will be the safety and security of the countries in Africa,” he noted.
Mr Boateng was impressed with the relations between Ghana and the UK and was optimistic that it would continue to grow from strength to strength.
