The Honourable Members of the Committee on Health of the ECOWAS Parliament, Chaired by Hon. Orlando Pereira Dias on Monday 23rd June 2025 paid a courtesy call on the Speaker Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, of Sierra Leone Parliament.

The visit was centered around a collaborative effort to enhance a formidable stance of the ECOWAS Parliament to help address the ballooning drug addiction among youth 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 the Speaker. She reminded the Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas that they had previously made a pronouncement in the plenary sittings of Sierra Leone Parliament wherein, they mounted a campaign for the eradication of drug addition among youth. Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay informed Speaker Thomas that the visit was to engage member states for a collective effort in eradicating drug addiction among youth within the ECOWAS region.

She also told the Speaker that members of the ECOWAS Parliament would stage a townhall meeting geared towards collaborating with stakeholders for a momentous stance in eradicating drug abuse among youth. She said the townhall 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 Heads of State in the ECOWAS region. He continued that health is the more important issue for the people in the ECOWAS region, which is the more reason the religional bloc has taken a stance in fighting drug abuse. He added that they also want to see youth 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 first of all 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 in the entire 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 youth.

He added that it had become very timely to engage the youth 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 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.