Chairman ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chief Ojo Maduekwe (photo) has on behalf of the Council of ECOWAS Ministers, congratulated ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas on his new appointment as Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries Organisation with headquarters in Brussels.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 63rd Ordinary session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on 20th November, at the ECOWAS Commission conference centre in Abuja, Chief Ojo Maduekwe described the new job for Dr. Chambas as an elevation, which resulting from loyalty, commitment and dedication to duty.
The Nigerian Foreign Minister said he was happy because all West Africans present including himself were in Brussels with one spirit and in unison, patiently waiting for the minute.
“And as Almighty God would have it, the time actually manifested itself, with an overwhelming victory for us, as our brother, our commission president Dr. Ibn Chambas became victorious”
"On behalf of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, I congratulate you Dr. Chambas on your new appointment. "
Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambers was unanimously appointed as the new Secretary General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries Organisation with headquarters in Brussels, on Tuesday, 17th November during the Organisation’s 90th session of the Council of Ministers.
The Ghanaian born Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas will succeed Sir John Kaputin from Papua New Guinea on 1st March 2010. The past five years has seen Sir John Kaputin holding that position.
Prior to his present position, ECOWAS Commission President, Dr Chambas became Secretary General of ECOWAS in Dakar on 21st December 2001, Dr. Chambas was a serving member of the Ghana Parliament.
He had also served as Deputy Speaker, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Minister of Education in Ghana.
The Republic of Sierra Leone was ably represented by Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Dr. Richard Conteh, deputy Director of Budget Ministry of Finance and Economic Development Mr. Tasmin Jah and Sierra Leone’s Deputy High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS Major General (Rtd) Edwin Sam Mbomah.
Meanwhile the 63rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers which opened Friday, 20th November 2009 at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja to consider various measures for improving the effectiveness of the ECOWAS Commission and Community institutions in delivering on regional programmes has on Saturday 21 come to an end with a proposed draft agenda for the 37th Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government scheduled to take place in Abuja on 21st December 2009.
Among issues considered at the two-day meeting were the report of the preceding meeting of the Administration and Finance Commission which contains the draft 2010 budget for the ECOWAS Commission and institutions of the Community.
Thirteen ministers from different ECOWAS countries including Sierra Leone’s Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Richard Conteh also considered the 2009 annual report of the President of the Commission, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, which captured the performance of the Commission and
institutions of the Community and the inherent challenges.
The Council, which comprised Ministers responsible for ECOWAS Affairs in Member States, also considered various memoranda, including those related to the ECOWAS Logistics Facility in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
In addition, the ministers considered various documents including the Final Report of the Meeting of Attorney Generals and Ministers of Justice which recommended measures to improve the effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Also for the consideration of the ministers were the recommendations of the 8th Meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Telecommunications and ICT to improve telecommunications access in the region and the reports of the 3rd Conference of ECOWAS Ministers of Culture and the 10th Assembly of Health Ministers.
There was also a briefing by the ECOWAS Commission on the various outstanding issues including the status of the negotiation of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union, the status of the monetary cooperation for the creation of a single regional currency and the ECOWAS
Business Forum.
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