ECOWAS To Tackle Mediterranean Tragedies With Job Creation Agenda
Worried by increasing deaths of citizens crossing into Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) has resolved to create jobs at home to check such tragedies.
Recent reports indicate that ECOWAS has recorded numerous deaths of its citizens in the Mediterranean Sea who try the dangerous route while seeking for greener pastures abroad.
Speaking at the Opening Session of the Delocalized Meeting of the Joint Committee on Communications and Information Technology, Education, Science and Technology, Labour, Employment, Youth, Sports and Culture, the Head of Guinea Delegation of ECOWAS Parliament and Co-Chair of the Joint Committee, Hon. Alpha Souleymane Bah Fischer said the community would deal with the challenge.
He said, “the importance of this meeting cannot be overemphasized as it will address the challenges of unemployment facing our region. Some of our citizens have died in the Mediterranean Sea due to irregular migration. This is the reason why some of them are fleeing to the west.
“This meeting will deal with job creation and training of our youth so that they can overcome the temptation of being trapped in the Mediterranean Sea,” he said.
He said the meeting will also equip the Parliamentary members play a major role in job creation in the region.
“This meeting will advocate and promote skills acquisition of youths to enable them stay in their countries rather than venture into illegal migration,” he said. Fischer assures that the objectives of the meeting will be actualized. He commended the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) for its collaborative efforts in the development of the region.
The Speaker, National Assembly of Guinea, Claude Kory Kondiano, said the meeting was apt as the issues of unemployment has dealt a blow to the region.
He said the nation of Guinea was happy that the meeting is holding in the country adding that it will join in the implementation of decisions reached in the meeting.
Also speaking, Guinea Minister of Cooperation, Dr Diene Keita, said the high rate of unemployment is a major concern in the region while calling on the ECOWAS lawmakers to tackle menace through their deliberations.
