Former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings arrived in Abuja, Nigeria on Saturday to participate in a two-day colloquium organised by the ECOWAS Parliament in commemoration of the 50th independence anniversary of African countries. The conference which is being held under the theme "Fifty Years of African Independence: an Assessment of Success and Failures," will see the former president address an audience of presidents, former presidents, eminent persons and Members of Parliaments from across the sub-region. Coming a day after he returned from the Global Economic Symposium in Turkey, former president Rawlings will also chair a series of panel meetings after the opening ceremony on Saturday. The first session will see Professor Ali Nouhoum Diallo of Mali speak on the theme, "Africa and the Major Political and Ideological Schools of Thought: A Critical Analysis of Fifty Years and Prospects." The second session which is under the theme Democracy and Good Governance: Challenges of the Evolution of a Political System will be addressed by Prof. Augustin Loada of Burkina Faso and Prof. Ahmed Ramadan Dumbuya of Sierra Leone. Former president Rawlings will also chair Malian El Hadj Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's take on "Responsible Majority and Constructive Opposition: Hope for Development," ending his participation as chairman of the discussion on "Peace and Security, Conflicts and Mediation: Experiences Learnt in 50 Years" to be addressed by Dr. Zéini Moulaye of Mali and Niger¹s Prof. André Salifou. The colloquium will be addressed by the likes of President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, Blaise Compoare of Burkina Faso, ECOWAS President James Victor Gbeho, Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament Mahamane Ousmane and the Speaker of the Nigeria Senate David Mark. Former president Rawlings is accompanied by his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and spokesperson Kofi Adams.