Monrovia – Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor has received in audience, the Delegation attending the ongoing De-localized Meeting of the Joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament at her Capitol Building office.
The 17-member delegation to the office of the VP was headed by ECOWAS Parliament Speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo.
In her welcome remarks, VP Howard-Taylor hailed ECOWAS for the ongoing deliberations aimed at strengthening Information and Communications Technology in the reintegration of the regional organization.
Vice President Howard-Taylor said the impact of the ICT sector is crucial to revitalizing the economies of member states of ECOWAS as governments are enabled to do more in meeting their national development program objectives.
According to a release from the VP’s Office, the Liberian Vice President said that to accelerate the development and application of ICTs in support of sustainable socio-economic growth and development in the region, there must be a vision and mission that will provide a rallying point and focus for ICTs, adding that she was grateful that ECOWAS is taking such steps.
“The ICT Policy in which we are moving our countries toward should be enunciated on issues to address economic development, poverty reduction, and governance among other areas in our respective countries,” the VP averred.
She urged that “ECOWAS countries should focus on providing strategic direction and guidance for sustainable national development through the systematic application of ICTs and this is achieved through the following objectives ensuring provision and maintenance of infrastructural facilities necessary for ICTs development, such as reliable supply of electricity, telecommunications, and transport.”
VP Taylor spoke Wednesday, August 29, 2018 when she received in audience a delegation attending the ongoing 5-day De-localized Meeting of the Joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament, which was at Capitol Building Office to pay her a courtesy call.
Vice President Howard-Taylor noted that member countries are now working with ECOWAS towards promoting and supporting the systematic, relevant and sustainable development of ICTs and extensive educational and training programs to provide adequate supply of qualified ICTs personnel and knowledge workers in all sectors.
She explained that the Liberian Government, under the leadership of President George Weah, is closely working with various ECOWAS Protocols and Treaties as well as other international partners to establish the needed structures for effective implementation of strategies on Information and Communications Technology in the country.
In order to achieve this, Vice President Howard-Taylor said the Government is putting in place the institutional mechanisms and procedures for determining sectoral application priorities by way of encouraging the development and use of equitable access to benefits offered by ICTs across all sectors of the population, gender, youths, the disabled and the elderly.
In remarks, ECOWAS Parliament Speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo said he and other parliamentarians were happy to be in Liberia and expressed delight over the progress that this country continues to make in sustaining peace and development.
Speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo said ECOWAS will continue to help Liberia in promoting national unity, reconciliation, peace and development. “ECOWAS will continue to support President George Weah and all partners to ensure the implementation of the Government’s development programs,” Speaker Cisse Lo assured.
Accompanying the ECOWAS Parliament Speaker to the Office of the Vice President were Ambassador ‘Tunde O. Ajisomo, Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission to Liberia, Representative Edwin M. Snowe, head of the Liberian Delegation to ECOWAS, Senator Prince Y. Johnson, 3rd Deputy Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament; Representatives Clarence Massaquoi, and Senator Steve Zargo.
The Delegation also included twelve other ECOWAS parliamentarians who all are attending the 4thSession of the De-localized Meeting of the ECOWAS Joint Committee.
The Joint Committee comprises three ECOWAS Parliamentary committees which are: the Committee on Communication and Information Technology, Committee on Education, Science and Technology, and the Committee on Labor, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture.