On Monday, 23rd June 2025, Honourable Members of the Committee on Health of the ECOWAS Parliament, chaired by Hon. Orlando Pereira Dias, paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas, Speaker of the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone.
The ECOWAS Parliamentary visit was centered around a collaborative effort to enhance a formidable stance of the ECOWAS Parliament to help address the ballooning drug addiction among youths within the ECOWAS Region.
The Leader of the Sierra Leone Delegation to ECOWAS Parliament, who also doubles as Deputy Chief Whip of Sierra Leone Parliament, Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay, led the delegation to the chamber of Sierra Leone’s Speaker of Parliament. She reminded the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas that they had previously made a pronouncement in the plenary sittings of the Sierra Leone Parliament, mounting campaign for the eradication of drug addiction among youths. Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay informed the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas that the visit of the ECOWAS Parliament is to engage Member States for a collective effort in eradicating drug addiction among youths within the ECOWAS Region. She also told Speaker Thomas that Members of the ECOWAS Parliament would stage a Town hall meeting geared towards collaborating with line stakeholders for a momentous stance in eradicating drug abuse among youths. She furthered that the town hall meeting would be followed by a conducted tour across rehabilitation centres of drug victims in Freetown, with the view of doing needs assessment for possible remedial actions.
The Chairman of the ECOWAS Parliamentary Committee on Health, Hon. Orlando Pereira Dias, chiefly, congratulated President Julius Maada Bio and Sierra Leone for a meritorious election as Chairman for the Authority of Head of States in the ECOWAS Region. He continued that health is a more important issue for the people in the ECOWAS Region, which is the more reason ECOWAS has taken a stance on fighting drug abuse. He added that they also want to see youths in state of good mental health. He, therefore, called on all and sundry to join the fight to eradicate drug abuse within the ECOWAS Region.
In his remarks, the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas welcomed the Members of the ECOWAS Parliament to Sierra Leone. He reiterated that drug abuse is a colossal concern not only in Sierra Leone, but also in the ECOWAS Region and West Africa at large. Speaker Thomas urged the delegation that it is time for the ECOWAS Region to take concrete action on drug abuse among youths, adding that it is very timely to engage the youths of West Africa, as drug abuse has become a concern to them as leaders.
“Because, if we continue in this kind of trajectory, it would be difficult to see a youth in a very serious condition. So I thank you very much for coming. Let me assure you that the Parliament of Sierra Leone is all ready to support you in the fight against drug abuse”, Speaker Thomas assured.
Parliamentary and Public Relations Department, Parliament of Sierra Leone.