Source: newsthemegh.com
Winneba is prepared to host the Extraordinary meetings of the ECOWAS Parliament, according to Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Member of Parliament for Effutu and Leader of Ghana’s Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament.
He informed journalists that all preparations were complete for the High Level Interactive Seminar and the Extraordinary Session of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) event.
President Nana Akufo-Addo will attend the opening ceremony as a special guest of honor on September 29 at the Jophus Anamuah-Mensah Conference Centre.
All of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Members (MPs), ECOWAS Commission officials, and other important stakeholders will attend the seminar to discuss the topic “The Challenges of Tenure Elongation and Unconstitutional Regime Change in West Africa – The Critical Role of the ECOWAS Parliament.”
It is commendable to have such a high-level international conference in Winneba, a town 65 kilometers outside of Accra, as these big events are often conducted in the capital cities of host nations.
“There are enough facilities to host them and like I did indicate, we hope to make it a pleasurable time, profitable time for all; we encourage all of you to come and take part in the programme,” Afenyo-Markin said
Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, told journalists that the ECOWAS team will be welcomed in Winneba, the capital of one of the municipalities in the Central Region, because such international programs gave prospects for growth, development, and tourism.
We can’t constantly be overly concentrated in the major cities, he added; we need to disseminate opportunity across the populace.
We need to move outside and provide more people access to opportunities, he continued, “because we cannot always overconcentrate in the big cities.We are confident that this will be an improvement over the past.
The capital of my constituency, Winneba, is merely an hour’s drive from Accra on an excellent road, and the Ghanaian government will put in place the required protocols for all MPs, focal persons, and staffs. Security precautions would also be in place.
The Effutu Constituency is prepared for the visitors, and word of their impending arrival has spread around the community, generating some excitement.
The common consensus is that Effutu has never before had such a large number of high-profile individuals of international renown visit the region for almost a week so they can experience the town and the culture and customs of its residents in addition to attending meetings.
“Winneba is an amazing coastal city with a rich history and remarkable culture,” said Afenyo-Markin, who just got back from Abuja where he participated in the ECOWAS Parliament’s proceedings.
We have been working really hard to fully realize Winneba’s genuine potential as a business center, tourism attraction, and a place of limitless chances for all citizens who dare to dream since I became the MP of Effutu.
“We have already made significant progress in many areas,” he continues.
“We are strategically improving the livelihoods of the people through calculated investments in very critical areas. I am talking about education, small scale industries, housing, access to health, and hospitality. The result is that modern education facilities are coming to Effutu, modern homes and residential facilities are being built, and sustainable jobs are being created and more.”
“The ultimate dream is to develop Effutu in general to such a level as to make it an attractive destination of choice for major local and international businesses, events and conferences. Therefore, the decision by the ECOWAS Parliament to have Winneba host ECOWAS MPs for the meetings could not have come at a more opportune time.”
“ECOWAS Parliament is ready to move to Winneba for the second time. The first time we came, my colleagues of the Parliament have been putting pressure on me for the past six months for them to go back to Winneba, and the kind of hospitality that we got from the Ghanaian government, especially through Alexander Afenyo-Markin, we are very pleased to be back” Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament Sidie Mohammed Tunis had confirmed.