The Hon. Speaker ECOWAS Parliament, Rt Hon. Side Mohamed Tunis has called out again on the citizens of the sub region to avail themselves of the opportunity to take the COVID -19 vaccine in-order to mitigate and reduce the effects of new possible variants that may likely create more death cases arising from its devastating effects which according to him has reduce significantly. His words: ‘We cannot deny the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic is not yet over and as such we must remain vigilant and anticipate the possible emergence of yet another variant because this is the characteristics of any pandemic. However, it has been proven that vaccination contributes significantly to the mitigation of its effects. He added that ‘Fortunately we see that hospitalizations and deaths resulting from Covid-19 have reduced significantly as has the virulence of the disease.
This according to him is why we will continue to appeal to our people to take the vaccine and believe in its providential efficacy because it works’ the Speaker added.Speaker Tunis said this at the opening ceremony of the first ECOWAS Parliamentary Seminar 2022 which is currently taking place at Ministerial Complex in Monrovia the capital of Liberia. The Speaker said that the objective of the Seminar which is titled ECOWAS VISION 2050; FORMULATION PROCESS AND CHALLENGES TO THE IMPLEMENTATION is to enable the MPs to take ownership of the ECOWAS Vision 2050 and ensure their full involvement in its implementation.
He lamented that as a Parliamentary body we are confronted with challenges in our governance and security sector and it has become absolutely crucial that we deliberate candidly on the issues that threaten peace and democracy in the region. This is why according to him the ECOWAS Parliament have dedicated the upcoming session to particularly discuss the political and security situation in the region while hoping that at the end we should be able to build a broad based consensus around the necessity to stamp out the menace of unconstitutional take overs, terrorism and insecurity.
He said that the purpose of the seminar is to be able define a framework that will help us to access where we are now as a region and where we want to be by 2050 and how we can get there.
This according to him is the only way we can help to improve the quality of life of the people of our sub region to meet up with our counterparts in the developed world. In his words, visioning in this context means creating multiple alternatives development strategies and integrated implementation approaches for reaching the goals of future regional development.
‘And so holding the of this seminar is to promote the 2050 vision as it would henceforth be the basis of our actions and relationships over the next 30 years.’
According to him it is expected that the vision would provide policy prescription to tackle the complex issues of Development as it relates to education, science and technology, health and development, sustainable agriculture, Peace and social justice and gender Equality. This is why this sensitization seminar offers the opportunity to define a common strategy and to give guidance to our regional institutions particularly to the Community Parliament in the framework of the implementation of the Vision 2050.
Also while making his welcome address the leader of the delegation of the Liberian Parliamentarians, Hon. Edwin Melvin Snowe Junior appreciated the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament. Dr. Tunis for always putting the agenda of the Parliament first in spite of the numerous global challenges plaguing the world. He commended the Speaker for inviting the MPs from Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea to attend the seminar as they will represent the interest of their people.
The Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission who was ably represented one of her commissioners applauded the ECOWAS Parliament for the brilliant initiative which according to her compliments the efforts of the ECOWAS Commission.
She stated that the process of the development of the ECOWAS 2050 document is all-inclusive as it revolves round the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the sub- region. According to her, we have carried out series of wide consultations from every sector of the sub region in order to accommodate all shades of opinions and input to will make our region better and progressive.
