Monrovia – Senator George Weah’s continuous absence and short stay at the ECOWAS Parliament sessions has begun raising eye brow among members of the parliament and has also sparked a new set of regulations to govern sessions, meetings and missions.
Report by Lennart Dodoo – [email protected]
“At a personal level, I need hardly emphasize that this conduct is not benefitting our highly exalted offices as representatives of over 300 million citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Even more regrettably, this kind of conduct amounts to betrayal of confidence reposed on us by the West African populace who are anxiously looking up to us to turn around their chequered fortunes” – Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament (Read Memo)
The bureau of ECOWAS Parliament has noted with utmost concern that a good number of its members have not been demonstrating the expected measure of diligence through regular attendance of session as well as other important meetings and/or missions.
The regional parliament also observed that other members who endeavored to attend sessions and meeting hardly stay through the entire duration and tend to take their leave just after collecting their allowances due them.
A communication from the Speaker of the parliament dated February 10, a copy of which is in the possession of FrontPageAfrica, quotes the Speaker as saying – “At a personal level, I need hardly emphasize that this conduct is not benefitting our highly exalted offices as representatives of over 300 million citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Even more regrettably, this kind of conduct amounts to betrayal of confidence reposed on us by the West African populace who are anxiously looking up to us to turn around their chequered fortunes.”
The Speaker appealed to his colleagues to consider their seats at the parliament as sacred trust which must which must be treated as such.
He further noted that the Bureau of Parliament in consonance with the situation has decided 60 percent of allowances due would be disbursed while the balance of 40 percent will be reserved until the end of sittings.
In addition, members who have to unavoidably have to depart sitting would have to forgo the allowances due for that period.
Sources within the Parliament informed FrontPageAfrica that members of Parliament being embarrassed by the ambiguous nature of the communication immediately called the Speaker out, requesting him to mention Amb. Weah’s name when as he was the one the communication was directed to.
The Parliamentarians were concerned that the ambiguous nature of the communication which they believed was generally undermining their credibility.
Our sources within the Parliament said, while session was ongoing, Amb. Weah was in Ghana, paying courtesy visit to the new Ghanaian President, Nana Danqua Addo-Akuffu Addo.
It can be recalled that in May 2016, Senator Weah who heads the Liberian delegation to the ECOWAS parliament transferred his official responsibility to Representative Edwin Snowe to make Liberia’s case at the regional body.
Weah has also been criticized by residents of Montserrado County for not adequately representing the county at the Senate – with some branding him as “bobo” (dumb) lawmaker.
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