MONROVIA – Representative Edwin Snowe of Bomi County has been appointed to chair the ECOWAS Parliamentary Committees on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism. He was appointed by the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis of Sierra Leone.
“At the selection committee, we vote for chairperson and the leadership of each committee. I was therefore elected by my colleagues on the committee to chair the political affairs committee. The tenure is 4 years,” Rep. Snowe told FrontPageAfrica.
Like Representative Snowe, other members of the Liberian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament were also elected to other committees. They include Senator Steven J. H. Zargo, Vice Chairman: Committee on Trade, Customs and Free Movement, Clarence Kortu Massaquoi 2nd Rapporteur: Committee on Public Accounts, Haja Fata Sayon Member: Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget Control, and Prince Yormie Johnson Member: Committee on Mines and Energy.
The Committee shall be responsible for matters relating to regional peace, stability and security by seeking to promote and strengthen good neighborliness; follow up on the status of implementation of community texts on peace, security, democracy and good governance; promotion and consolidation of a democratic system of governance in each Member State as envisaged by ECOWAS declaration of Political Principles adopted in Abuja on 6 July 1991.
The Committee role will also be to assist in parliamentary mediation missions aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution of disputes among the Member States, cooperation between neighboring States and promotion of peace, a catalyst of economic development; Strengthening cooperation in the area of conflict prevention, early warning, peacekeeping operations, control of cross-border crime; international terrorism, the proliferation of small arms and anti-personnel mines; Measures to combat crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and fraud; South-South and North-South dialogue; The African Peer Review Mechanism, The territorial integrity and independence of Member State.
Recently, President George Weah pledged his unwavering support to the new Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sidi Mohammed Tunis following his election and installation ceremony held on Monday, March 9.
Tunis is the leader of Government Business representing the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) in the Sierra Leone House of Parliament.
In his congratulatory message, President Weah pointed out that Mr. Tunis’ ascendancy comes at a time when the West African region is grappling with “scores of different issues ranging from political, economic and the threat from the coronavirus disease,” which has been reported in the two-member state – Nigeria and Senegal.
President Weah, who once served as head of the Liberian delegation to the regional parliamentary bloc when he was as a Senator, expressed hope that the new Speaker will rise up to the occasion and availed himself as his (Tunis) Ambassador at the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“Notwithstanding the challenges, I am confident that with your credential and a hopefully proactive 5th Legislature over which you now preside, much energy will be exerted at addressing the problems that characterize our states and transformative vision will be delivered for our sub-region,” President Weah said in his congratulatory message to Speaker Tunis.