The ECOWAS Commission on Thursday said it had commenced the process of removing resident permit for citizens of member countries residing in other ECOWAS countries.
This is contained in a statement issued by the commission’s spokesperson, Mr Sunny Ugoh, a copy of which was given to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
It stated that ECOWAS’ resident permit constituted obstacle to freedom of persons and goods according to the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement.
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“The resident permit has been a source of discrimination and harassment of community citizens’’, the statement quoted the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Kadré Ouédraogo as saying.Residence and Establishment, entitles community citizens to visit countries within the region for 90 days without visa.
The statement stated that this made ECOWAS the only regional economic community in Africa with such a visa-free regime.
It also stated that under the protocol, citizens should enjoy the right of entry, stay, residence, establishment and access to the community’s Court of Justice.
It, however, added that some challenges had been reported in its implementation.
“We hope the revised instrument will be signed during the next summit of regional leaders so that our people can feel as one people”, Ouédraogo said in the statement. (NAN)
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