PRAIA, CARBO VERDE – (ECOWAS Secretariat Report) – The Commissioner for Human Resources of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Jeremias Furtado has on July 6, 2018 paid a working visit to the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) in Praia, Carbo Verde to present the ECOWAS Pension scheme to staff of the Centre, among others.
The release from the Communication Division of the Commission on Friday July 6th indicated that apart from presenting the scheme which has been considered as one of the major programmes of the Commission, Commissioner Furtado’s visit was to get acquainted with the concerns of the staff of the Centre.
During the visit, Jeremias Furtado harped on the importance of the retirement scheme, describing it as critical in tackling issues surrounding the working conditions and dignity of all who dedicate their lives to serving the community. He stressed the significance of working towards achievable collective objectives and urged staff to be productive and give the best of their knowledge and abilities in favor of ECOWAS.
According to the Commissioner, a lot of work has to be done and such should be done with the people, by the people and for the people, who are working towards a common objective.
While receiving the Commissioner earlier, the Executive Director of ECREEE, Mahama Kappiah expressed great satisfaction with the visit, noting that the Centre is dear to the Commission and is central in the drive for achieving the vision of an ECOWAS of peoples, rather than of States.
Kappiah made a presentation on the Centre, its mission, vision and strategic objectives including how it is achieving its objectives and making a positive impact on the lives of the ECOWAS citizens by the many projects it has been able to implement. In the presentation, the Director stressed the importance of strategic partnerships, highlighting the great contributions which partners such as the Government of Spain (AECID), the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the Government of Cabo Verde, the United Nations for Industrial Development (UNIDO) and the World Bank Group have provided for the development of ECREEE.
The ECOWAS Commission’s Pension Desk officer, Obiageli Ray-Oleru also made a supportive presentation on the ECOWAS Pension Fund Scheme, elaborating on how the system works and how to get the best out of it.
