Winneba Ready For ECOWAS – Afenyo-Markin Assures

The ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria, has concluded arrangements for its Members to move to Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana for a delocalised meeting of joint committees to be held from Monday July 29 to Saturday August 3, 2024.

The meeting, to be held under the major theme “Plastic Waste Management: Challenges and Prospects in implementing Community Policies” is to make recommendations to the ECOWAS Commission on how to improve legislations within West Africa to ensure coordinated implementation of environmental management policies and integrated management plans for chemicals and hazardous waste.

The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon, Alban Bagbin, would be the Special Guest of Honour at the opening ceremony scheduled for July 29.

The meeting, which has the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Energy and Mines and Infrastructure, is also aimed to inform Members and sensitise them on the mechanisms developed by ECOWAS for the environmentally sound management of plastic waste in the sub region.

Winneba is the capital of Effutu and the Member of Parliament for the Constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has given full assurances to the ECOWAS Parliament that all requisite arrangements have been put in place to make receive the Members and to have their meeting a successful one.

“There is an upcoming joint delocalized committee meeting scheduled for Ghana between the 29th of July to the 3rd of August and the Bureau graciously granted the request of Ghana to host the programme in Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana outside of the capital city.

“The Committee Chairs and members of these two committees have graciously agreed to come to Winneba and as the Member of Parliament for the Constituency, I say a very big thank you to you for the honour done us and also to assure you that the city would be happy to see you and be rest assured that every arrangement would be in place for us to have a good deliberation”, Afenyo-Markin, a deputy Speaker at the ECOWAS Parliament, noted in an address the august body.

Such delocalised meetings of the Committees are usually organised in the Member States to enhance the visibility of the ECOWAS Parliament and its activities.

It is also to discuss issues and programmes that relates to the development and integration process of ECOWAS.

The July 29 to August 3 ECOWAS meeting in Winneba would be the fourth time the sub-regional Parliament is meeting in Winneba.

The first time ECOWAS Parliament met in Winneba was in 2021 and it was a novelty inspired by Afenyo-Markin because until then, never before had such a meetings being held outside the capital city of the host country.

Since then, Winneba has successfully played host for the ECOWAS Parliament for two additional extra-ordinary meetings with this one being the fourth.

Winneba Is Rising

Afenyo-Markin, who the Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament explained that the ECOWAS meeting being hosted out of the capital would bring governance to the doorsteps of the very people they governed and create an opportunity for the region by way of putting it on the visibility map for development

“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 staff, security arrangements will be in place. Winneba, which is the capital of my constituency, is just an hour’s drive from Accra on a good road.

“Winneba is an amazing coastal city with a rich history and remarkable culture,” says Afenyo-Markin, who the Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament has noted.

He continued: “Since I became the MP of Effutu, we have been working so hard to fully develop Winneba’s true potential both as a business hub, tourist destination and land of endless opportunities for all citizens who dare to dream.”

He adds: “We have already made significant progress in many areas. 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.”

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

He adds: “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 meeting could not have come at a more opportune time.

“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.”