51st Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

President Muhammadu Buhari, Speaker Gbajabiamila, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, Others Attend 51st Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

Delegates from the Commonwealth Countries in Africa gathered on Thursday, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria for the 51st Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region. The theme of the Conference is African Parliaments and the Challenges of Covid-19 Pandemic.

While declaring the Conference open, President Muhammadu Buhari noted that COVID-19 has pushed African countries into extreme poverty, and therefore the need for stakeholders from the region to urgently take steps to start the production of COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the President who was represented by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, SAN,  “without vaccination of a huge number of its people, Africa remains at continued risk of socio-economic stagnation, because continuing infections including from new variants, will prevent full recovery. There is evidence that the economic rebound in other parts of the world is positively related to the extent of vaccinations that they have undertaken."

 "We appreciate the vaccines that have come to Africa through the COVAX Initiative and other bilateral donations, but there remains much more to be done. We must ensure that while we are at it, we must develop the collaborations to be able to produce vaccines within Africa itself.”

Speaking further, President Buhari noted that “to be sure, we need resources that will help increase the scale and pace of vaccinations against COVID-19 in Africa. The high and upper-middle-income countries have achieved vaccination rates of over 80%, while very few African countries have reached the 5% level of vaccination.”

On the issue of Climate Change, “it is another area in which global development is impacting Africa, and in which we need a unified response, It is particularly important for Africa Commonwealth governments to pay attention to this matter. In any event, the protection of the environment is a matter of core concern for the Commonwealth.

The issue of climate change poses a number of dilemmas for African countries and we must strive to find the right balance in shaping our responses.”  The President observed.

Speaking earlier, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila welcomed delegates to Nigeria and noted that the Conference will consolidate on the gains recorded so far by the Association. He further highlighted the need for continuous networking among Speakers and Leaders of the National Assemblies of other Commonwealth countries in Africa to address the various challenges bedeviling the Parliaments.

Bringing the goodwill messages from the International Secretariat of CPA, London were the Acting Chairperson of CPA International Executive Committee, Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP (United Kingdom) and the Secretary-General, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Mr. Stephen Twigg collaborating  that CPA at all levels has been representing the Commonwealth.

The Akwa Ibom delegation was led by the working Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, it can be recalled that Mr. Speaker was recently appointed as an Executive Committee Member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.