Accra,– The organization of african unity(oau) has put in place structures that will help shift emphasis on political issues to economic issues , Dr Obed Asamoah, leader of Ghana’s delegation to the just-ended OAU summit said last night. Dr Asamoah who was briefing the press at the Kotoka international airport on his arrival from Harare, Zimbabwe, where he represented the President Fl. Lt. J.J. Rawlings at the 33 summit of the OAU said there had been a new development because for the first time the summit constituted itself into an economic commission for Africa (ECA). He said the summit brought into force the Abuja treaty which established the ECA and delegated responsibilities to sub regional organizations to become the economic building block of their communities. Dr Asamoah, who is the minister of justice and attorney general, said the efficiency of these economic communities will be the sine qua non of the economic block. He said there shall be economic and social councils and other specialized committees and agencies to coordinate and see to the success of the commission. Dr Asamoah said for the first time,reports from sub-regional groupings like the ECOWAS, SADC and MAGREB were heard and that ecowas received commendation for the work it was doing in Liberia and the handling of the Sierra Leonian issue. problems arising out of the impending election in liberia were discussed with members of ecowas pledging a donation of 100,000 dollars each. Dr Asamoah said the OAU secretary general has also pledged 200,000 dollars as the organisation’s contribution towards the election. He said conflicts in the great lakes region were discussed with particular reference to Burundi since the problem of the democratic republic of the Congo is considered solved. He said the submit however took note of the broken down in institutions of government in the former Zaire and appealed to member countries to help re-establish them. The summit asked Burundi to arrive faster in establishing a democratic government or continue to face sanctions from the OAU. The first lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, who joined the Nigerian first lady, Mrs Maryam Abacha, in presenting a declaration made at a recent first ladies’ summit in Abuja to the OAU also returned home last night. Nana Konadu said for the first time, the summit listened to a declaration on conflict resolution from Africa’s first ladies and agreed that a committee of experts be set up to see to the implementation of programmes put forward by them. According to her, the first lady of Burundi has already requested a visit of first ladies in the region to that country. She said she took the opportunity to hold discussions with some international organisations including the UNHCR and ECA on matters relating to the Africa first ladies initiatives and the role they intend to play. Nana Konadu, who is the first vice-chairman of the first ladies’ summit said the current chairman of the OAU, president robert Mugabe, asked first ladies to advise their husbands on the importance of maintaining peace in their countries and deal directly with the grassroots on all national issues. The other member of the delegation was Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah, minister of education.
