The Technical Commission on Finance and Administration (TCAF) of the sub-regional bloc, the Mano River Union is meeting in Monrovia to discuss some pertinent issues affecting the organization.
Amongst other issues, the meeting will review key operation documents and reports of the MRU secretariat, which is a follow-up on the recommendations of its last meeting held in Freetown, Sierra Leone and make recommendations for consideration by the Ministerial council.
Addressing the summit Monday, October 25, 2021, MRU Secretary General Ambassador Madina A. Wesseh admonished experts to reviewing the union’s financial and administrative operations to focus on key issues of regional interest. She emphasized the importance of recruiting some of the best professionals with technical competence within the Union’s secretariat.
Call for stable government in Guinea
She told delegates of Member States meeting in Monrovia that neighboring Guinea, which is the current chair of the MRU needs predictable and stable governance processes that will return it to stability.
“We at the Secretariat have engaged and in the process of engaging all the major international and other sub-regional stakeholders to ensure the return to constitutional order within the shortest possible time for the people of Guinea”, Ambassador Wesseh adds.
She added that the people of Guinea and the sub region need predictable and stable governance processes to ensure peace and stability in order to carry on with the socio-economic development process.
The MRU technical commission meeting is expected to run from 25 October to the 27th 2021 in Monrovia after which new financial and administrative issues will be addressed.
According to her as per the mandate of the structure and the terms of reference of the extraordinary TCAF, members are to examine specific issues of sub-regional interest and emerging issues in the MRU space.
Amb. Wesseh to end five-year tenure
The Liberian Ambassador to the MRU took up the mantle of leadership in June 2017.
“Our tenure is a five-year mandate”, she says, “with an option to renew a second mandate. As we prepare for submission of our work and review as well as seek additional mandate or offer our thanks for the opportunities to serve, I wish to urge you to take these matters very seriously and put professional recruitment for technical competence to the fore.”
The head of the MRU Secretariat added that the work of the the secretariat is clear and the functions of the various departments are clear, noting that the new five-year strategic plan has clearly laid out the program and activities to implement the vision.
Guinea Military leader recognizes MRU
Alpha Kamara, head of the Guinean delegation extols the MRU Secretariat and its members for convening the extraordinary TCAF session while noting that the integration space, which is the MRU, remains one of the top priorities of the current Head of State of Guinea, Col. Mamady Doumuyah.
“On behalf of this delegation the mandate given us is that Guinea will never cease to exist as a founding country of the MRU, and we remain committed to our contribution for the improvement and livelihood of the population within our territory”, he adds.
He says the meeting is being held in a difficult context as it relates to COVID-19, and amid minimum resources.
Addressing internal wrangling
Meanwhile, the head of the Sierra Leone delegation Mr. Peter Sam Kpakra, has noted that it is important that the MRU Secretariat addresses current internal wrangling within the organization, which he recalls started from Cote d’ Ivoire, to Freetown and now in Liberia.
“Ladies and gentleman: the Union Secretariat is engulfed with lots of problems which are impeding the movement, working of the Union. If I will say anything as an opening remark is for us as members of this Secretariat to find solutions by solving these problems”, says Mr. Kpakra.
Established on 3rd October 1973, Mano River Union named after the Mano River that begins in Guinea and forms a border between Liberia and Sierra Leone. Guinea joined the Union on October 25, 1980.
Ivory Coast became forth member of the MRU in 2004.
Comments are closed.