Two-day ECOWAS Council of Ministers’ Summit commences

The two day 64th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers is on the way in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria to enable participants including Sierra Leone’s three man delegation led by Deputy Minister of Finance Dr. Richard K. Konteh review the status of implementation of the organization’s regional integration programmes and consider means of accelerating the realization of the dreams of the institution’s Founding Fathers when it was established on 28th May 1975.  (Photo: r-l Head of Sierra Leone’s Delegation, Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Richard K. Konteh, John Borbor Laggah, and Mrs. Fatmata Mustapha)

In his opening remarks on Monday May 31, ECOWAS Commission, President Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, said the Ministers will use the two days May 31, 2010 -1^st June to also consider the 2010 mid-year report of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, (Ambassador James Victor Gbeho), which details the performance of the Commission and institutions of the Community, their challenges   and prospects.

“The Council, which is composed of Ministers responsible for ECOWAS Affairs in the organization’s 15 Member States, will consider the report of the meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee (AFC) which, among others, contains the recommendation for an approval of a supplementary budget to be utilized for ECOWAS disaster response in Member States, vocational training and tripartite social dialogue in Member States,” said the ECOWAS Commission President.

Also in the Committee’s report is an endorsement of a four-year technical assistance project for the provision of anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism analytical software to 13 Member States. According to Ambassador James Victor Gbehu, the software will enable them investigate and prosecute financial and economic crimes.

(r-l Nigeria’s Minister of State Foreign Affairs Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong and ECOWAS Commission Pres. Victor Gbehu)

He said the Ministers will consider various memoranda, including those related to the schedule of rotation of the Chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, the modalities for the rotation of the positions of President, Vice President and Commissioners of the ECOWAS Commission, the allocation of four positions of Judges of the Community Court of Justice to Member States as well as the allocation of the position of President of the ECOWAS Parliament to a Member State. 

Similarly, the ECOWAS Commission President said the Ministers will consider a memorandum on the progress made on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) negotiations with the European Union for a free trade area and the report of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee on the EPA negotiations which took place in Bamako, Mali early May, 2010.

Quoting a report from the Bamako meeting, Ambassador James Victor Gbehu said the ministers insisted on realizing a balanced and development-oriented EPA that will protect the interest of Member States and supported by an EU-funded EPA Development Programme to enable the region cope with the adjustment costs of the agreement consistent with the mandate of regional leaders.

“Among others, the ministers called for the integration of the region’s private sector into the negotiating process since it will bear the brunt of the regional Common External Tariff (CET) that will accompany the agreement.

“The ministers are expected to adopt the West African Common Industrial Policy (WACIP) and its action plan and consider the report of the Eighth Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on GIABA (Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing in West Africa).

“Furthermore, they will also consider the report of the meeting of Ministers in charge of Defense and Security as well as propose a draft agenda for the mid-year summit of Heads of State and Government scheduled to take place in June 2010. 

Other membefs of the High Table including Sierra Leonean ECOWAS Trade Commissioner Mohamed Daramy on the right

Earlier, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong said under the chairmanship of Nigeria, the sub region has recorded some successes in the area of peace and stability and economic development in all spheres within the sub region as can be attested to in the mediatory efforts in Guinea Bissau and Guinea. In the case of the latter, persistent dialogue and intense negotiations with all stakeholders in Guinea and particularly the avowed commitment of the interim president Brigadier General Konate Sekuba to return the country to democratic rule, the presidential election is now scheduled for 27^th June 2010.

With respect to Cote d’Ivoire and Niger, Nigeria’s Minister of State For Foreign Affairs Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong said chairman of the authority in conjunction with ECOWAS has already engaged all relevant stakeholders to stress the imperative need for them to come up with a workable and acceptable election timetable as soon as practicable to enable the restoration of constitutional order to Niger, and the ever lingering election in Cote d‘Ivoire be held before the end of the year.

That notwithstanding, the Nigeria’s Minister of State Foreign Affairs said the west African sub region is facing serious food energy and financial crises and it is only through collective efforts and collaboration that we can solve these problems by re-energizing the integration process in our sub region.

He also expressed sadness that the 1979 ECOWAS protocol on free movement of person’s goods and services as well as right of residence and establishment has not been fully implemented, as West African citizens continue to face harassment, intimidation, torture and extortion in the hands of security agencies manning borders. He therefore urged ministers to consider the establishment of a customs union in the West African sub region a top most priority.

According to acting Head of Chancery Rakie Macarthy, this meeting, Council of Ministers of ECOWAS, precedes the pending ECOWAS Heads of State Summit.

Other members of the Sierra Leone delegation include Sierra Leone’s Deputy Development Secretary, Mrs. Fatmata Mustapha and Mr. John Borbor Laggah Director Africa division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. 

Pasco Gerald Temple, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone High Commission, Abuja, Nigeria

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!

---

© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.