Worried by recent military interventions in some west African states, the leadership of the regional body,The Economic Community of Western African States ( ECOWAS), on Sunday implored leaders in the region to prioritise good governance and collective prosperity as an essential tool to prevent authoritarian takeover of power and unconstitutional changes of government in the
Worried by recent military interventions in some west African states, the leadership of the regional body,The Economic Community of Western African States ( ECOWAS), on Sunday implored leaders in the region to prioritise good governance and collective prosperity as an essential tool to prevent authoritarian takeover of power and unconstitutional changes of government in the region.
Specifically, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ,Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, and The President of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) Commission, Mr. Omar Touray, said political stability, peace and security remain critical for West African countries to attract investment that will aid development.
ECOWAS was established in 1975 as a response to these challenges. Its current members are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Addressing the high-powered regional gathering at the 64th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, President Tinubu identified good governance as a key catalyst to secure popular support through the socio-economic transformation and development of West Africa.
His words :”The delivery of good governance is not just a fundamental commitment; it is also an avenue to address the concerns of our citizens, to improve their quality of life, and create a stable environment conducive to the achievement of sustainable development.
“By providing good governance that tackles the challenges of poverty, inequality and other concerns of the people, we would have succeeded in addressing some of the root causes of military interventions in civilian processes in our region”, he said.
Recounting steps and decisions taken by West African leaders to further strengthen the region’s democratic achievements and uphold the right of the people to elect the leaders of their choice, the president said the bloc had outlined specific measures to be taken against any member state opting for unconstitutional change of government.
According to him, while the imposition of punitive sanctions may pose challenges, it is important to underscore that the struggle to protect the fundamental liberties of ECOWAS’ Citizens must be upheld and respected.
He said :”To this end, I would like to reiterate the imperative of re-engaging with the countries under military rule on the basis of realistic and short transition plans that can deliver democracy and good governance to the innocent populations in those countries.
“On our part, we should be prepared to provide them with technical and material support, to ensure the achievement of these strategic goals,” he said.
The ECOWAS Chairman used the occasion to applaud President George Weah of Liberia for conceding victory and congratulating his opponent during the last presidential election in Liberia.
He invited leaders at the summit and other participants to give a standing ovation to President Weah.
“By accepting defeat and congratulating his opponent, President Weah has left a legacy to be emulated by politicians in our region and beyond,” he said.
He also acknowledged the presence of former President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, who in 2015, displayed a similar commitment to democratic ideals after losing his re-election to the opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
President Tinubu also responded to the recent decision by some ECOWAS-member states, under military rule, to float ‘Alliance of Sahel States’, describing it as distracting and emphasizing the commitment to pursuing ECOWAS integration.
“The phantom pushback Alliance appears intended to divert our attention from our mutual belief in and commitment to democracy and good governance that will impact the lives of our people.
“We refuse to be distracted from pursuing the collective dreams, aspirations, and the noble path of ECOWAS integration as it is laid out in our institutional and legal frameworks.
“I take this opportunity to also emphasize that despite the numerous challenges faced in our region, ECOWAS has achieved significant milestones for the betterment of our community.
“ECOWAS activities have always been people-oriented, with a future of raising the living standard of our people. We have to do that through a relentless focus on qualitative service delivery and good governance,” he added.
On the recent disturbances in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, the ECOWAS chairman asked fellow leaders to pay attention to protecting democracy, reiterating ECOWAS’ zero tolerance to unconstitutional changes of government.
“I urge all of us to stand strong and be highly committed in the face of any challenge in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau. The message must go down clearly that we support a democratically elected government, not an unconstitutional exercise.
“The re-elected president of Sierra Leone is present here. We are saying loud and clear that we are with you.
“Without let or hindrance, democracy will win, if we fight for it, and we will definitely fight for democracy”, President Tinubu stressed .
In his address,the President of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) Commission, Omar Touray, noted that the region’s fragile democracy and persistent security challenges have affected the risk rating of the region and the flow of foreign capital and intra-regional trade and investment.
His words : “We are challenged to improve the business environment in our community to take advantage of the growing interests of investors in our community”.
Mr Touray said ECOWAS has made the development of regional infrastructure and business-friendly policies a cornerstone of integration of the region.
He said the recently commissioned International Coordination Centre of the West African Power Pool in Abomey-Calavi, Benin Republic, is part of the body’s integration plan.
According to him, the project, supported by the European Union, now enables trade in electricity across the West African region.
“The unified electricity market achieved through this project will improve access to electricity by areas of low generation from areas with high supply,” he said.
He added that all member states of ECOWAS, except Cabo Verde, are connected to the system, which makes the sale and purchase of electricity among them possible.
“We are grateful to the European Union for the support of 35 million Euros towards the realisation of this project,” he added.
The ECOWAS Commission President also called the attention of the Heads of State at the meeting to the depleting revenue of the commission.
He said the commission has been encountering challenges in accessing the Community Levy, which he said is the lifeline of the community institutions and integration programmes. ECOWAS collects a 0.5 per cent levy on imports from outside member countries.
He said the low resource mobilisation of the body is now more critical as member states under sanctions have stopped remitting the levy, adding that the body’s financial responsibilities are growing even as the financial situation gets more difficult.
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