President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray said the subregional bloc must strive to maintain its status as a model of regional integration in Africa, in spite of its prevailing challenges.
Touray said this in Abuja at a retirement ceremony organised by ECOWAS for its members of staff due to quit the service this year.
He said ECOWAS had achieved a lot over the years in the area of free movement of people, intra-regional trading, power and providing community infrastructure, among many others.
According to him, the people behind those achievements are the members of staff, some of whom are on the brink of retirement.
He expressed appreciation and gratitude to them for doing such a tremendous work, adding that those retiring had been part and parcel of that process.
“I believe that together, we can make this community better and still keep it as the model of integration on the continent.
“We do have a long way to go, but I believe we can still continue to keep ECOWAS as a model of regional integration.
“As you all know, ECOWAS heads of state have shown their confidence in the institution by making sure financial constraints that used to bedevil the institution do not really disturb our progress.
“We should continue to justify that confidence and I am confident that the staff will continue to work to merit it,” he said.
Touray said in spite of the commission’s numerous achievements, the community is still facing many challenges.
He urged the commission’s staff to avoid looking at challenges in isolation and instead, have a broader perspective to understand that the entire world is in turmoil.
“What is happening in our region is a reflection of the global realities.
“Our attempt to address some of those challenges must be all-inclusive, must be broad as much as possible.
“Those challenges are surmountable. I am confident that together, we should be able to address them,” he said.
While acknowledging that there have been problems, the commission’s president said that there is the will and determination to put those problems behind.
“Human life is made up of problems, as well as solutions. Our strength does not lie in having no problem. Our strength lies in our capacity to overcome some of those problems.
“I believe that the solution to those problems lie in your hands, in the hands of staff, as members of the community,” he said.
Also speaking, ECOWAS Vice President, Damtien Tchintchibidja, told the staff members that everyone has a role to play in the organisation, adding that the work they do has an impact on the overall community.
“ECOWAS is you; it is me; it is every single one of us.
“It is important that we defend the colours, the values of ECOWAS and build a better place for our community, for our children, for generations to come,” she said.
Besides, ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services, Professor Nazif Darma, said the commission’s biggest assets are its human resources who work daily to drive its project and programme implementation, impacting its 400 million citizens.
Responding on behalf of the retirees, ECOWAS Director, Private Sector, Dr Tony Elumelu, thanked the management for organising the retirement ceremony.
“There are two things we celebrate, when we come and when we go. And seeing your faces as we depart, we are encouraged,” Elumelu said. NAN
