ECOWAS Returns To Winneba

Members of the ECOWAS Parliament from all across the West African sub-region with support staff from the ECOWAS Commission would converge in the town of Winneba in the Effutu Constituency of the Central Region from September 29 this year, to dialogue on the there: “:The Challenges of Tenure Elongation and Unconstitutional Regime Change in West Africa – The Critical Role of the ECOWAS Parliament”  

It would be second time in two years that the ECOWAS Parliament is having a high level seminar and session in Winneba. In 2021, the town successfully played host to the ECOWAS Parliament’s five-day Delocalized Meetings as well as the Extra Ordinary Session.

This month, the same Winneba is playing host to the Parliament’s High Level Interactive Seminar and its Extraordinary Sessions.

Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo is scheduled to deliver the keynote address in his capacity as Special Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony of the High Level Interactive at the Jophus Anamuah-Mensah Conference Centre, University of Education (UEW), Winneba.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency, under which Winneba falls, Alexander Afenyo-Markin is the Leader of Ghana’s Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament and he has confirmed that all pre arrival and pre event arrangements have been firmed up for the all important gathering of West African leaders.

“We have done this before and it is out time to do it again and you can be rest assured that by the grace of God, Effutu shall deliver the best hospitality and warm reception to our guests who have now become family. They are coming home and apart from the core content of the Seminar and Sessions, there would be a lot of community engagements and other planned activities”, Afenyo-Markin noted.

He said it makes perfect sense to sometimes take such international seminars away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city and move into the inner lands.

Afenyo-Markin continued: “we cannot always over concentrate in the capital cities; we need to move out and spread opportunity to the people…We are optimistic that this will be better than before. The Ghanaian Government will put in place the necessary protocols for all MPs, focal persons and staffs, security arrangements would be in place, Winneba which is the capital of my constituency is just an hour drive from Accra on a good road.”.

EFFUTU PREPARED

The Effutu Constituency is geared up for the visiting guests and their arrival has become the talk of town, sparking some excitement across board.

The general talk is that never before has Effutu had such number of high profile persons in international repute coming into the area to stay for almost a week and apart from the meeting, see the Efutu town and the culture and traditions of its people.

Winneba Is Rising

“Winneba is an amazing coastal city with a rich history and remarkable culture… “Since I became the MP of Effutu, we have been working so hard to fully develop Winneba’s true potential as both a business hub, tourist destination and land of endless opportunities for all citizens who dare to dream.

“We have already made significant progress in many areas,” Afenyo-Markin added

He continued: “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.”

“We have already started making all the necessary preparations to host the two events successfully,” states Afenyo-Markin. “We intend to make all our visitors feel at home throughout their days in Ghana and leave with the best possible memories of our people and our culture.”

According to Afenyo-Markin, “the potential impact of the international conference on Winneba’s economy, and the people Effutu in general, will be phenomenal.