ECOWAS Parliament Holds Delocalised Meeting In Ghana Over Plastic Waste Menace

By: Christian Kpesese

A five-day delocalised Meeting of a joint committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources/Energy and Mining/Infrastructure of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament to disccuss plastic waste is currently underway at Winneba in the Central region of Ghana.

The delocalised joint committee meeting of the community parliament is aimed at proffering solutions towards mitigating the increasing threat of plastic pollution on livelihoods of the people of the west african sub-region.
In a welcome address read on his behalf, the Third Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and leader of the Ghanaian delegation, Member of Parliament for Effutu and Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin expressed gratitude to the ECOWAS legislature for allowing his constituency to host the sub-regional Parliament for the third time.

According to him, the meeting which will be discussing plastic waste is an urgent command to action to safeguard the identity of the subregion, the ocean which is under siege.

“Distinguished colleagues, we gather here today not in celebraton, but in urgent counsel. Our theme, “Plastic waste management: challenges and prospects in the implementation of Community activities,” is not merely a topic for academic discussion. It is a clarion call to action, a command to safeguard the very essence of our West African identity”, Afenyo-Markin stated.

Mr Afenyo-Markin who was alarmed at the environmental and economic cost of plastic waste to the West African sub-region said: “the economic toll is equally devastating. Each ton of plastic waste causing marine pollution costs our region between USD10,000 and USD33,000. Our vital sectors – fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, and coastal real estate – are bearing the brunt of this relentless assault on our environment”.

The Majority leader in Ghana’s parliament stated that the huge amounts of plastics wastes generated by member states of west africa finds their way into the ocean and urged his colleagues to come up with workable proposals to help solve the challenge whithout denying the people of the subregion their livelihoods.

He proposed five key solutons which he described as “My Five-Point Action Plan for the immediate consideration of the joint committees.

The first proposal is the adoption of a harmonized legislation across ECOWAS member states backed by rigorous and enforceable policies to phase out single-use plastics within the next 3 years with the example of Rwanda to learn from.

Secondly, the Effutu lawmaker advocate huge investment in innovative waste management solutions that turn the menace into opportunities for the subregion.

He also proposed the strengthening of enforcement against illegal fishing practices by foreign trawlers beyong the plastic menace to address the declining fish stocks.

The fourth proposal tabled by Mr Afenyo-Markin for the consideration of the community parliament is the establishment of an ECOWAS Coastal Protection Fund to support communities which are most affected by plastic pollution and declining fish stocks.

Lastly, the third deputy speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament called for a comprehensive public education campaigns across the subregion to help change behaviours and attitudes towards plastic use and waste management.

He was optimistic that with singleness of purpose backed by concrete actions, the subregion can overcome the plastice waste challenge.

Dignitories at the openning of the meeting includes the Paramount Chief of the Effutu Traditional Area, Hiss Royal Highness, Neenyi Ghartey II, Commissioner Economic Affairs and Agriculture of ECOWAS, a representative of the minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, heads of the security services among others.

The offical opening of the Delocalised joint committee meeting of the ECOWAS parliament was performed on behalf of the Rt Hon Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin by his Counsel, Mr Magnus Kofi Amoatey.

By: Christian Kpesese