The Foreign Minister of Liberia H.E. Marjon V. Kamara has received in audience the ECOWAS Ambassador accredited near Monrovia, H.E. Mr. Babatunde Olanrewaju Ajisomo, when he paid her a courtesy call on Thursday, April 7, 2016.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, Ambassador Ajisomo used the opportunity to congratulate Minister Kamara on her preferment and briefed her on developments taking placing within the sub-regional organization including political, social, economic, and security issues.

While welcoming the ECOWAS envoy at the Ministry, Foreign Minister Kamara thanked him for the courtesy visit and extended gratitude to ECOWAS for all the humanitarian assistance it continues to render the Government and people of Liberia, reflecting on the civil crisis and the Ebola outbreak.

Liberia’s Foreign Minister also applauded the ECOWAS envoy for the extensive and comprehensive overview he provided her, which she said has fully abreast her on ECOWAS’ activities in the sub-region.  She indicated that she is aware that the regional body is going through a transition, acknowledging that former vice president of the commission, Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh, has already returned to Liberia after a successful end of his tenure.

Minister Kamara expressed confidence that the country’s recent nominee to the ECOWAS committee on infrastructure, Dr. Antoinette G. Weeks, would ably represent Liberia and that she would do well on her new assignment.

The Liberian Foreign Minister acknowledged there are a lots of good things that Liberia can gain from sub-regional integration; confirming that Liberia will do what it needs to do to take its place within the sub-regional organization.

On the issues of ratifying the ECOWAS treaties and protocols, Minister Kamara assured Ambassador Ajisomo that she would work very closely with other relevant government institutions to have these instruments ratified.

Madam Kamara also added that under her stewardship as Foreign Minister Liberia will tap into rewarding areas of maximum benefits in the ECOWAS for its population.

She further applauded ECOWAS’ initiatives in member states including the organization’s  role in maintaining peace and security, humanitarian and political  affairs in the region;  as well as, the introduction and use of ECOWAS passports by its citizens which she observed is now being circulated worldwide.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

For his part, the ECOWAS Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Ajisomo, recounted the strategic and historical role Liberia played during the formation of ECOWAS which dates back to 1975 when Liberia signed the ECOWAS Protocol affirming its membership to the regional body.

The ECOWAS Ambassador thanked Foreign Minister Kamara for the warm reception and granting him the audience to meet with her, which he said was intended to appraise her of ongoing developments taking place at the level of ECOWAS.

He stressed that considering the strategic role Liberia played at the formation of the ECOWAS, it would be prudent for the country to maximize its benefits of integration and minimize its risks since integration is always associated with risks and benefits.

He also added that ECOWAS is now at the stage of transition in terms of statutory appointments where preparation are underway for the ushering in of a new president of the ECOWAS Commission who he said hails from the Republic Of Benin.   

The ECOWAS Ambassador also used the occasion to congratulate Liberia for nominating a well-seasoned and experience candidate to head the Infrastructure Committee of the ECOWAS Commission in person of Dr. Weeks.

He further disclosed that the vice president’s position previously occupied by Dr. McIntosh has now been given to The Gambia while the presidential slot of the Commission is being occupied by the Republic of Benin which he noted are expected to take office in Abuja, Nigeria shortly.

He furthered that ECOWAS’ Heads of State and Government, during one of their deliberations, took a firm position on the presidential tenure. According to him,   ECOWAS leaders agreed that no leader in any of its member states should elongate his/herself in power, likewise, officials of the commission are not to also elongate themselves to office.

He indicated that those holding current positions at the Commission will continue to serve up to 2018 so that by 2018 the Commission would consider rotating positions among member countries.

The envoy also informed Foreign Minister Kamara that the Commission looks forward to seeing her participate in all ECOWAS ministerial meetings like her predecessor who he hailed for proactively participating at all levels of ECOWAS’ meetings in order to maximize benefits of integration.

The envoy, however, called on the minister to prevail on other relevant stakeholders across the Liberian government bureaucracy to ensure that the over 14 treaties and protocols submitted by ECOWAS for ratification are ratified, saying “Liberian has benefited from some of these treaties and conventions.”