The vice president and minister of Women's Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, yesterday morning, received in audience Honourable Mahamane Ousmane, the speaker  Ecowas parliament, at her office at State House in Banjul.

Accompanied by a high powered  delegation, the Ecowas parliament speaker, who is on a regional tour, was led to the vice president's office by the speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, Honourable Elizabeth Renner and other members of the Assembly. Speaker Ousmane's visit to State House was  to brief Vice President Njie-Saidy about the current activities of the sub- regional  parliament.

Speaking to reporters shortly after   the audience,  Honourable Dr Shehu Garba Matagu, a member of the Ecowas parliament, who spoke on behalf of his  speaker, said their main mission to the country is to brief the government and people of The Gambia on the activities of the sub-regional  parliament. He told reporters that The Gambia is a very important member of the parliament, noting that the importance of the visit to such a country cannot be overemphasized.

"The Gambia is the first country among the 15 member countries of the parliament that this delegation is visiting. The speaker has briefed the vice president on the activities of the Ecowas parliament, its creation, the objectives, the organs, and the functions of the parliament," he said.
Apart from their role as an advisory body to the Community of Heads of State and Governments, Honourable Matagu told journalists that as a parliament, they also engage in some activities that are geared towards enhancing not only unity and integration in the region, but also for the progress and development of the economic bloc.

Prominent among these, he revealed, is the fact that they are currently working on direct election, as well as working towards ensuring that Ecowas as a community, has only single currency that can be acceptable in the member countries. This, he said, will enhance the region's unity and make it one entity with a purpose and one objective.

According to Honourable Matagu, the Ecowas speaker also had the opportunity to brief Vice President Njie-Saidy on some of the activities that are in the offing to make the parliament more effective and efficient. "The Ecowas parliament as it is constituted now is just an advisory body and not a law making body. We are on the process of making it an independent and a law making body from now against 2010," he revealed. According to him,  the vice president  assured them of the Gambia government's support to their activities. Commenting on the  Special African Union Summit currently underway in Libya, Honourable Matagu described it as very significant and timely. "What they are doing in Libya is to make sure that Africa becomes more united through the African Union.

This is also what the different sub-regional parliaments are doing to help the Community of heads of state and governments to achieve the purpose of integration in the continent," he said, On behalf of the speaker of the Ecowas parliament, Dr Shehu Garba Matagu hailed Gambian authorities for the audience and the warm reception accorded them since their arrival in the country on Sunday.