The remains of Sierra Leonean born Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commissioner for Trade, Customs, Industry,Mines and Free Movement within ECOWAS countries, Alhaji Mohamed B. Daramy, has been flown home (Sierra Leone), by the ECOWAS Commission.
Accompanied by 15 representatives of the family headed by the Director General of Sierra Leone’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mr. Sullay Daramy, Sierra Leone High Commissioner to Nigeria, H.E Henry O. Macauley and the Director of Trade ECOWAS N’faly Sanoh, the body left Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory on the night of Thursday July 14th, spent some time in a morgue in Lagos, prior to being flown by Arik Air on Friday July 15th.
The ECOWAS Commission on Tuesday 11 July 2011, announced the death of its pioneer Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Mines, Tourism and Free Movement of Persons and Goods.
A statement from the ECOWAS Commission described Commissioner Daramy as a team player, amiable, easy going but industrious and thorough,”
“A Sierra Leonean who distinguished himself through his sterling contributions to the pursuit of the regional integration agenda of the ECOWAS Commission and community institutions and by providing quality leadership to departments under his supervision."
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) with Bachelors degree in Business Administration (accounting bias), and a Masters degree in Business Administration with a finance major in addition to his over 29 years’ experience in industry and private sector, the late Daramy served the Sierra Leone Government in various capacities (Minister of Labour, Trade, Transport, Finance and later Development and Economic Planning) before assuming the Commissionership role at the ECOWAS Commission in 2007.
He represented Sierra Leone on a number of mutually beneficial high-level consultations and negotiations with international development partners including UNDP, EU, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), African Development Bank (AfDB), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), and OPEC Fund.
Honourable Daramy also coordinated several donor-funded programmes and projects in Sierra Leone and was actively involved in the revitalisation of the Mano River Union Secretariat Project; preparation of Sierra Leone’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, as well as involvement in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Project and the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), for his country.
His death not only devastated the Sierra Leonean community in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but also the ECOWAS Commission, some members of multilateral institutions in Nigeria and, some senior Nigerian government officials.
In his tribute, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency James Victor Gbeho described Honourable Mohamed B. Daramy as "an irreplaceable asset to the Commission."
He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Commissioner and prayed that God to grant them the courage and fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
The demise of the late Commissioner also saw the emergence of Sierra Leoneans from all walks of life from different parts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria trooping to the ECOWAS Commission and his residence to either confirm the news or empathize with the bereaved family.
Before leaving Abuja, a large crowd of ECOWAS officials led by its Vice President H.E Jean de Dieu Somda, officials of the Sierra Leone High Commission and members of the Sierra Leone community, relatives and friends joined the late Commissioner Daramy’s family at the Central Mosque of Abuja, and offered prayers, two Rakas to Allah (Islamic payers for the faithful departed).
He is survived by his widow Hadja Fatmata Turay Daramy, several children and other relatives.
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