Janneh leaves ECA, staff bids him farewell

Mr Abdoulie Janneh is leaving the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) after serving as the Executive Secretary for seven years.

To honour Janneh’s achievement at the helm of affairs, staff of the ECA last week held a Town Hall event to officially bid him farewell.

Mr. Janneh was “leaving on a high note as he had guided the institution through a repositioning exercise based on principles of excellence and cost effectiveness to improve the delivery of programmes,” Mr. Abdalla Hamdok, ECA Deputy Executive Secretary said at the event attended by several personalities from UN agencies, the African Union and others.

According to Hamdok, Janneh underscored the partnerships he forged with the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank to address the development challenges of the continent.

“As Abdoulie Janneh leaves this institution he should be very proud that the seven years he spent here were worthwhile. He should be proud that he is part of this success story; that he put it on the right track and made it relevant to the African development issues and
challenges,” Hamdok stressed.

On his part, Mr Janneh said he is very proud of what he’s leaving behind. “We should not forget that things happen because of people and because of that we have to support and encourage them.”

He praised the dedicated and competent ECA staff for turning the Commission into “what it is today” and paid homage to former AU Chairperson, Mr. Alpha Oumar Konaré and outgoing Chairperson Mr. Jean Ping for collaborative relationships, he said, was “vital for the Continent as it was the comparative advantage of the ECA.”

Farewell speeches were also made by the UN Resident Coordinator representing the United Nations Country Team; the Representative of the United Liaison Team Representative; the Representative of the Staff Union; and the Director of the Sub-regional Office for Eastern
Africa representing the other SROs.

Mr. Abdoulie Janneh took office as the Under- Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the ECA in 2006.

By Ekow Quandzie