Sierra Leone President commends Prez Mahama

The President of Sierra Leone, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, has praised President John Dramani Mahama for the dynamism he has introduced into the activities of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since assuming the chairmanship of the regional group in February this year.

"His leadership has showed some difference and if he continues with this, we will go a long way in achieving the protocols we have set ourselves and address specific issues that are now affecting the sub region," he said.

Dr Koroma who was speaking to journalists after he called on President Mahama at his official residence in Accra yesterday, said," relatively things are improving in West Africa even though there are security concerns, including the Boko Haram atrocities in Nigeria."

Dr Koroma who participated in the just ended ECOWAS Summit in Accra was at the residence of President Mahama to discuss bilateral issues.

Ebola

President Koroma welcomed the ECOWAS response to the Ebola menace and expressed the hope that it would add to his country's response plan.

Sierra Leone is one of the three countries where the disease has been detected. The rest are Liberia and Guinea.

At the end of the 45th Summit of ECOWAS in Accra last Thursday, a fund was set up to help fight the disease which has so far killed about 500.

Nigeria made a donation of $1 million to the fund and an additional $2 million to the three countries and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO).

Dr Koroma said his country had a national specific plan, which it monitored regularly, while also looking at the overall sub regional approach. 

President Mahama

Answering questions from journalists, President Mahama said ECOWAS was determined to do everything within its means to support the fight against Ebola.

"We are each other’s keeper in ECOWAS so when there is affliction anywhere it affects us all,” he stressed.

He said it was necessary for the three countries that had identified cases of Ebola to be supported to be able to contain the disease “so that we don't have a pandemic spreading across the sub region." 

President Mahama congratulated President Koroma for his exemplary leadership that is telling positively on the country's economic development.

"In West Africa, Sierra Leone currently has the fastest growing GDP rate of above 11 per cent and this shows what good leadership and the people can do when there is peace," he stressed.

President Mahama said one of his objectives as ECOWAS Chairman was to see how the group could push through the integration of its infrastructure, most especially energy.

Historically, he said, Ghana and Sierra Leone enjoyed fruitful relations, adding , "we will build on that."