“We must place the interest of the people above personal interest”- Rt. Hon. Sidie Mohamed Tunis

“The work done during this session is proof of the total commitment to the ideals of our integration.” The aforementioned statement came from the Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Sidie Mohamed Tunis, as he made his speech while declaring the 2020 Second Ordinary Session closed. The Speaker expressed satisfaction with the work done during the weeklong session that held from 13 to 19 January, 2021 via videoconference.

During this session, several texts and documents were examined and adopted, including the 2021 consolidated budget of ECOWAS, referrals from the ECOWAS commission, the 2021 work program of the Parliament, the report of the ad hoc committee responsible for examining and proposing mechanisms that will enable the election of Members of Parliament of the ECOWAS by direct universal suffrage.

“The diversity of the subjects and the exceptional circumstances in which these texts were drawn up as well as their importance for the development of certain vital sectors of our economy required our urgent examination”, declared the Speaker of the parliament.

However, he acknowledged that, “the biggest challenge in carrying out these activities remains the COVID-19 pandemic which continues to wreak havoc around the world” before calling on his counterparts to “act with determination and take the necessary measures to ensure work continues”. “We are taking the delicate task ahead of us seriously,” he pledged.

For this, He asked the Members of Parliament to “stand firm and always place the interest of the people above personal interest” because “we must be ready to be faced with some inconvenience in our daily work to serve our fellow citizens in these unprecedented times”.

As he declared the session closed, Speaker Tunis admonished his colleagues to remain confident and unshakable in the commitment to serve and show love for the region and above all to work for the development of the people of the sub region.