March 30, 2021
By Mohamed M. Sesay
During his opening address of ECOWAS at first extraordinary session for the year 2021, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has yesterday the 29th of March, urged Honorable Members of the ECOWAS Parliament and the ECOWAS Commission to make the e Sub-region a prime destination for investments. He argues that this acheivable through the adaptation of practices, policies and regulations that are uniform across the sub-region and even across the borders.
President Bio observed that, the ECOWAS community should harness greater regional economic integration and more market linkages in the entire sub-region.
He affirmed that Sierra Leone remains fully committed to the aspiration of the ECOWAS single currency programme and that His government will continue to implement prudent economic policies gearing towards satisfying and equally meeting the convergence criteria of the ECOWAS Community.
He added that, Sierra Leone also notes the continuous progress made in the implementation of regional integration commitment and policy harmonization programmes embedded in the framework of the ECOWAS single currency programmes.
President Bio further asserted that, the single currency policy of ECOWAS is also embedded in the implementation of the ECOWAS trade liberalization scheme, the ECOWAS COMMON EXTERNAL tariff payment systems infrastructural development and the harmonization of the statistics and policy issues of the community.
He urged all Members of the ECOWAS Parliament and the ECOWAS Commission to corporate towards the aforementioned tenable goals in the nearest future, and equally be mindful of the escalating youth crisis.
With the prevailing reality, he pointed out there is need for a purposive investment in human capital development adding that the impact of such investment can position the sub region to compete favorably in the global knowledge economy, deploy technology and innovation, promote entrepreneurship, create an inclusive employment opportunities and therefore, discover vast youth potentials within the West Africa Sub-region.
President Bio also urged Members of the ECOWAS community to fully support initiatives and policies that foster the stated objectives as a community by crafting a focused strategy for the future of the sub-region.
He added adding that collectively the ECOWAS vision 2050 intended to create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and cohesive region based on good governance and where people can have the capacity to access and harness its enormous resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development and environmental preservations.
President Bio also acknowledged that, the ECOWAS community has persevered through the difficult time of covid-19 pandemic. He attributed the situation to the resilience and indomitable spirit of Members states. He added that, through proactive leadership and corporation across member states, the community has kept case fatality ratio to a very low level. He noted that, member states are now easing restrictions of movement of people within and across borders wherein, the community is now transitioning to a new phase from heightened prevention and protection protocols to roll-out of vaccines. He urged member states to add their strong collective voice in appeals to resolve issue of vaccines disparity and to fully support effort in order to procure, supply and administer safe and efficacious vaccines throughout the sub-region.
As nations in the community recover from the impact of the covid-19, President Bio therefore, urged member states to support and corporate in reviewing resilience and sustainability into their recoveries and rebuilding efforts to strengthen the healthcare system and disaster management structures so that the community will not be easily susceptible to future shocks. He also emphasized need for the identification of growth sector and new opportunities in the post covid-19 economies and leverage investment in areas that propel economic growth and inclusive development.
He reiterated the Hon. Speakers’ stance for delocalizing meetings of the community parliament is provided for in the supplementary Act of the power of the ECOWAS Parliament.
He suggested regular meetings and engagements of state actors and regional organizations within the community that promote peace, good governance, economic development and respect for human dignity as common practices among member states. President Bio commended ECOWAS parliament for its contribution in the promotion of peace, security, democracy and good governance in the region as demonstrated in the deployment of election observation mission gearing towards monitoring elections within member states. He also commended that ECOWAS Parliament for the Recruitment of consultant firms charged with the responsibility to supervise the construction of phases two and three of the Lungi logistic Depots, noting that, upon the completion of the Lungi Logistic Depot by 2022, it mark an important milestone for sustainable peace and stability in the sub-region.
“As a community, we must craft a focused strategy for the future of our sub-region. We collectively aspire in ECOWAS vision 2050 to create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and cohesive region built on good governance and where people have the capacity to access and harness it enormous resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development and environmental preservation. Your Excellences honorable members, distinguish ladies and gentlemen, let me conclude by entreating all of us here to continue working hard towards the attainment of our shared future. I thank you for the singular honor for inviting me to formally open the 2021, the first extraordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament here in Freetown”, he concluded.