|
Talk about achievements within the EAC, media told
2006-03-02 09:15:35
By Judica Tarimo
East African Community (EAC) top officials appealed yesterday to the media to inform the public about the achievements recorded to speed up the integration process.
’A lot of progress has been made in the integration process, but this has not been adequately covered by the media. The achievements are not known by Africans,’ said EAC Secretary General Amanya Mushega at an awareness workshop for media executives and editors.
The EAC secretariat organised the workshop to sustain political and popular will of member-states for regional integration.
Mushega said the regional governments have already agreed on a number of key issues related to the integration, but the majority of East Africans were not aware of the progress made.
’We have launched the Customs Union protocol and reached important decisions, but our people know nothing,’ said the EAC boss, who added:’We must do something. The media can help in this respect.’
’We have a lot of information on EAC achievements at the secretariat. The media should obtain these information and disseminate it,’ he added.
Besides the media, the EAC secretariat has also identified religious groups and local authorities and civil servants as strategic partners in the dissemination of information on EAC processes.
The Deputy Minister of East African Co-operation, Dr Cyril August Chami, said the move would promote the principles of a people-centred community and sustain the already existing political will and popular support for regional integration.
The minister wants the media to critically analyse issues and disseminate EAC information of common interest to the people across the region.
’East Africans are ignorant of what is taking place in Arusha due to insufficient contact between sources and the media,’ said Chami as he officially opened the workshop.
The minister called on the EAC secretariat and sector ministries to be proactive in repackaging the information on the integration developments and disseminating it to the public.
Meanwhile, EAC presidents – Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania are expected to meet in April to review the progress made in fast-tracking the federation.
Mushega said the regional leaders would present views of the people from their countries on the federation.
Preparations for the EAC federation were expected to start officially in 2009 before it becomes operational in 2013.
A special EAC committee formed to collect and collate views of people on the federation from the three countries had once presented their recommendations to the region’s presidents. Mushega said the Presidents said the committee had not covered a satisfactory number of people.
’They agreed that each country collect views from local people on the modalities of the federation and how and when it should start officially,’ said the EAC official.
EAC officials are still uncertain on when exactly would the federation become operational.
He said:’I cannot say exactly. But I understand that the presidents will discuss it this April. They are the ones who would decide on the timeframe. Our role is just to facilitate the process.’
|
