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The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has been re-elected as Chair of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures (CoSPAL) for a second term.
The election of Mr Bagbin was held during the 2nd General Assembly of CoSPAL in Accra on Sunday.
Other officers elected at the general assembly were Anita Annet-Among, Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament as Vice Chair and Ibidapo Olufemi Oyewole of the Nigerian senate.
Four other regional vice chairs were also elected to steer the affairs of the conference in their respective areas.
The Assembly brought together over 120 participants including 15 speakers and presidents of African legislatures, 15 deputy speakers and presidents, clerks and parliamentary staff across the continent.
Discussions at the high-powered Assembly focused on finding solutions to Africa’s challenges, including poverty, political instability, unemployment, climate change.
The CoSPAL is the platform that seeks to mobilise and unite Speakers and presidents of legislatures across the continent to support the agenda for Africa’s growth and sustainable development.
Addressing the participants at the opening of the Assembly, Mr Bagbin entreated African legislatures to take an active role in the continent’s development.
“As representatives of the people, our parliaments cannot sit aloof or operate on the fringes of the efforts to combat the challenges that confront us. We must be at the centre of those efforts if we are to meet the needs and aspirations of the people we represent,” the Speaker said.
CoSPAL, he noted, therefore provides a unique opportunity for legislatures to lay a strong foundation in the creation of a united and common platform to deliberate on Africa’s developmental challenges and advocate for coordinated solutions.
“As Africans, we share a common destiny and face the common enemies of ignorance, poverty, and deprivation. Let us remember that no single country can address these challenges alone,” he rallied his colleagues.
In his remarks at the end of the Assembly, Madam Annet-Among said addressing the continent’s challenges required united efforts and solutions.
In her view, “our focus must shift towards unlocking the potential of our resources and empowering people rather than remaining dependent on external assistance
