By KWANTA DOUGLAS –
The Cuttington University, Bong County Liberia, has conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters on the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sidie Tunis, in recognition of his contributions to the ECOWAS Sub-region.
Tunis received the honorary doctorate degree from his Alma Mater on Saturday at its 14th commencement convocation of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.
Speaking with newsmen shortly Tunis, who was elated on the conferment, pledged to continue to do more in advancing the cause of West Africa and its citizens.
He said that he would use his position as Speaker of the Parliament to bring ECOWAS closer to the people and the community Parliament.
“I feel very happy. Apart from being the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, this is also my Alma Mater.
“I graduated from Cuttington in 1989 and today I have been given this honour and I thank the Almighty Allah for his blessings.
“When I took over as Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament in 2020 I said that I would bring the ECOWAS Parliament to the people.
“And, with this honour today I will continue to ensure that ECOWAS reflects indeed that of the people’s parliament, that of the community parliament,” Tunis said.
Earlier in his address of commencement, Tunis urged the graduating students to see themselves as a tool for an integrated Africa, stating that the youths are the future of Africa’s development.
He also commended their resilience for pushing through their academic year amidst the unique situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As you graduate today, see yourselves as a realisation of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s call for a more integrated Africa that is focused on attaining inclusive and sustainable development.
“The continent’s AU Agenda 2063 remains a shared aspiration for transforming our continent into a group of prosperous, equitable, and integrated nations.
“In your sundry contribution towards the collective future of the Great Republic of Liberia, your contributions are critical towards this shared continental aspiration especially in the post-COVID era,” he said.
According to him, the new Africa will be led by young, innovative, and enterprising persons like you. You have the obligation to control the new economic scramble for Africa.
He said that this would be by ensuring they actively participate in the global economy and can therefore participate as equal partners.
“COVID-19 may have slowed down economies and altered lives and livelihoods but your graduation today is new cause for optimism that we will prevail over the worst and triumph with the best.
“An African renaissance is possible with young and agile minds like yours and we therefore must celebrate you today as an addition to that critical mass that will transform the future of our continent,” Tunis said.
President of the University, Dr Herman Browne while conferring the doctorate honors on Tunis said the institution was honoring him in recognition of his contributions to ECOWAS as speaker of the Parliament.
Brown, however, urged the speaker to continue in his good works and push towards the development and integration of the sub-region.
He commended Tunis for his contributions to global, humanitarian and national movements which had further earned him several recognitions and awards.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Parliament delegation, Mr Bertin Some, Director of Parliamentary Affairs and Research congratulated Tunis on receiving the honorary degree.
Some said it was a well-deserved recognition as the Speaker had shown himself worthy through all what he did in heading the affairs of the Parliament.
“This is a unique occasion and a wonderful occasion that we have today.
“We want to commend his efforts because it is the acknowledgement of all his efforts that made him get this recognition and the ECOWAS parliament is very proud of that.
“We want to encourage him to continue to do more in his tenure as Speaker,” Some said.