By Mohamed Kamara
Concerns raised by some members of the public over possible economic challenges following Sierra Leone’s hosting of the ongoing Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting have been described as misplaced by some observers.
Margaret Thompson, a student at Belfast University in Ireland, said the comparison between the current ECOWAS engagement and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Conference hosted in Sierra Leone in the 1980s was inaccurate.
Speaking on the issue, Thompson said that regardless of political, regional, or religious affiliations, the public discussion should be based on facts and an independent assessment of the two events.
She explained that since ECOWAS was established in 1975, member states have had mechanisms for supporting host countries in organizing regional meetings. She also noted that some facilities being used for the event, including the Freetown International Conference Centre at Bintumani, were established before the summit and were not constructed specifically from ECOWAS funds.
Thompson added that the ECOWAS meeting could provide economic opportunities for the country, particularly in the tourism, hospitality, food, beverage, and transportation sectors, while also strengthening regional cooperation.
She said the economic challenges experienced after the OAU Conference in the 1980s were linked to several factors, including emergency infrastructure projects and other expenditures undertaken at the time.
According to her, the circumstances surrounding the OAU Conference and the current ECOWAS meeting are different, making direct comparisons between the two events inappropriate.
She further maintained that the financial implications of hosting the OAU Conference under the leadership of former President Siaka Stevens cannot be equated with Sierra Leone’s hosting of the ECOWAS meeting, given the different arrangements and economic contexts involved.
