She noted that the move will serve as a major factor in the promotion of peace, security, stability, democracy and good governance within the ECOWAS region.
Madam Jewel Howard Taylor said this when she was giving her keynote address at the opening of a week-long delocalized meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Joint Committees on Communication and Information Technology, Education, Science and Technology, Labor, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture on Monday, August 27, 2018 in the Liberian capital, Monrovia.
The meeting was held under the theme: “Contribution of ICTs to the Regional Integration Process – Status of Implementation, challenges and prospects of an ECOWAS Community Radio and Television Station”.
The Liberian Vice President said the Government is aware of the challenges mitigating the migration of the ECOWAS Radio to a truly Regional Broadcasting Agency, but assured that the Administration of President George Manneh Weah is committed to fulfilling its obligations in the Agreement on the Establishment of the ECOWAS Radio signed between it and the ECOWAS Commission.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Liberia, Dr. Bhofal Chambers, welcomed the ECOWAS Parliament to Liberia and stressed that communication and technology will play a major role in spreading the messages of peace and development throughout the sub-region.
Speaker Chambers said the initiatives will put Liberia in a better position to work with ECOWAS member states.
Chambers noted that after 14 years of civil crisis, it is only restorative justice that will heal the wounds of all Liberians.
The former Liberian President and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf praised the African leaders for supporting Liberia to move on after more than a decade of civil war.
The opening ceremony was graced by leaders of ECOWAS, Liberian government officials and members of the diplomatic corps, including Moustapha Cissé Lo, Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, House Speaker Chambers, and Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission to Liberia, Amb. Tunde O. Ajisomo.
The second day of the conference had presentations on “Maximizing Effective Audience Reach of an ECOWAS Community Radio in view of the diversified linguistic groupings of the Community and the proliferation of community radios and their local contents (Experience of the West Africa Democracy Radio)” and was presented by Mr. Malcom Joseph, Executive Director of Centre for Media Studies and Peace.
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By: Dorcas T. Gboerreh-Boe//Monrovia -Liberia
