News:
July 10, 2024
At the ongoing first Ordinary Session of the 6th Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament in Abuja Nigeria, lawmakers have commended Liberia for appointing the first-ever female defense Minister, Brigadier General Geraldine George.
The MP gave the commendation during the presentation of the Country’s report by the leader of the delegation Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe Jr. on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
That notwithstanding, the MPs were not enthused about some treatment being meted out to the former President George Weah including being denied access to a VIP lounge.
A member of Ghana’s delegation to the 6th Community Parliament, Samson Ahi in his contribution to Liberia’s Country report commended the country for giving a very detailed report on current happenings in the country.
I was going through the report and was thinking that things were going on very well in Liberia. But at a point I have to change my mind, when i noticed that the former President was denied access to the VIP lounge, a development I think not good enough, he stated.
Again, I was expecting the report to commend the former president because of what he did in the elections. You hardly find a sitting president would lose less than forty thousand votes and just agree to transfer power; this is a mark of statesmanship and I was expecting the report to commend him highly but I do not know why they decided not to commend him, Mr. Ahi noted.
Hon. Ahi joined his colleagues to further commend a good development in Liberia and noted that he is not commending them for appointing a female as first defense Minister, but the fact that she was appointed as deputy defense Minister by the previous government and when there was change over the current government elevated her as substantive Minister.
“That is a good ternate of democracy; look at the talent of the person, if the person has the capacity to help irrespective of the person’s background you have to give the person the opportunity”.
However, he was not happy the report did not give information on how the Liberian government is putting in measures to deal with drug abuse in the Country.
In the case of Guinea he indicated that he was happy their delegation are back in the ECOWAS Parliament which has been their prayers and hope others like Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali would return to the fold.
He flawed Guinea on grounds that their Country report is not detailed enough; and hoped they would improve it during the second Ordinary session when they are presenting their country report.
He also questioned their efforts at returning to democratic rule which was not specified in the report.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com