Monrovia, 3 May 2018. The erstwhile Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf lauded the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Radio based in Monrovia.

She made this commendation in an interview granted a journalist from the radio station at the end of the courtesy visit of the President of the ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou on 2 May 2018 at her residence in the Liberian capital.

ECOWAS needs a channel to promote its achievements, programmes and actions in the region, an objective which has been fulfilled through the handover of the radio by the former United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Mrs Sirleaf revealed.

She expressed gratitude to the UNMIL for the crucial role it played in restoring peace and security to Liberia, including the radio’s handover to ECOWAS.

She pointed out that the radio is expected to provide updates on ECOWAS ideals, values and vision, and ensure that the mentality and behaviour of West African citizens are changed positively.

«ECOWAS radio is expected to promote regional peace, security and stability, and the economic development of West Africa. It must be active, objective, in the service of the ECOWAS Member States, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stated.

During a meeting with members of staff of the regional organisation’s agencies based in Liberia, the President of the ECOWAS Commission stated that the Community radio aspires for the highest level of professionalism.

Having listened to the grievances of the staff, notably lack of financial support, equipment and training, extending the radio and ECOWAS Volunteers Programme to other Member States, presenting the radio’s programmes in the three ECOWAS official languages, English, French and Portuguese, Mr Brou promised to look into them. .

He urged staff of these units, particularly the radio, to be professional, objective and serious in carrying out their duties.

.«As an ECOWAS staff, you are not working for just a single Member State but for all the 15 Member States, for the entire West African region, the 320 billion inhabitants in the region. To this end, you must demonstrate exemplary behavior, respect ECOWAS values and principles», he proffered.

He also reminded staff about ECOWAS priority programmes for Member States, namely, free movement of persons, goods and services, creation of ECOWAS single currency by 2020, Common External Tariff (ECOWAS CET), infrastructure, energy, transport, support for elections, education, etc.

He further informed them about the signing of the Community Radio Headuqarters Agreement.

« We must ensure that this radio becomes a strong instrument of communication for West African citizens to promote regional integration, peace, security and stability in West Africa, free movement of persons, goods and services, gender, consolidation of democracy and good governance, he declared.

He announced the forthcoming holding of a meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Education which should identify the management structure, programmes and extension of the Community radio into other Member States, as well as the production and transmission of its programmes into English, French and English.

Accompanied by his Resident Representative in Liberia, Ambassador Tunde Ajisomo and ECOWAS Ag. Director of Communication, Liberor Doscof Aho, the President of the ECOWAS Commission entered into one of the radio’s studios to give a live broadcast in the three languages.

It would be recalled that on 23 March 2018, Monrovia was the venue of the ex United Nations Mission in Liberia handover of its radio to ECOWAS in a ceremony chaired by the Liberian Head of State, George Manneh Weah.