President Bola Tinubu is currently presiding over the opening of the ECOWAS 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, holding at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Sunday.
The ECOWAS leaders are meeting with security and the departure of three military-led governments from the bloc high on the agenda.
Before the Economic Community of West African States meeting, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger reaffirmed as “irreversible” their decision to quit the bloc, which they condemned as subservient to their ex-colonial ruler, France.
The three states have also formed their own confederation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), after severing ties with France and pivoting towards Russia.
Also, the three breakaway states have not announced plans to attend the Abuja summit, but they held a separate ministerial-level meeting on Friday in Niger’s capital, Niamey.
The departure of the three could have a major impact on free trade and movement as well as on security cooperation in the region, where jihadist groups are gaining ground across the Sahel.
President Tinubu was elected Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the regional bloc held in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau.
“We will take democracy seriously. Democracy is very tough, but it is the form of government,” the Nigerian leader had said after he received handover documents from the outgoing Chairman and Guinea-Bissau’s President, Umaro Embalo.
He had specifically expressed concern over the alarming levels of insecurity and the increasing pattern of military coups in the region, stressing that these issues demand urgent and concerted efforts from all member states.
Curiously, after he assumed office, a few weeks later, Nigeria’s neighbour to the north, Niger Republic, fell to putschists when President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted by members of his guard, led by its commander, General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
As Chairman of the regional bloc, Tinubu had also tasked member states on the need to fulfil financial commitments to the body to effectively tackle the myriad of security challenges besetting the area.
The Nigerian leader noted that substantial financial resources are needed to operationalize the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) and combat terrorism, banditry, and violent extremism, among others.
He urged all the member states to honour their obligations, including financial, to enable the body to meet the expectations and recommendations of its ministers of Defense and Finance.
According to him, fulfilling these sundry commitments will help stabilize the region to effectively address the menace of insecurity in the area.
He said by meeting their financial commitments, ECOWAS member states will demonstrate their dedication to regional security and cooperation, as well as enable the community to better address the security challenges facing West Africa.
“Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potential. Moving to operationalize the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasize that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources.
“We must therefore ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set forth by our ministers of Defense and Finance in order to counter the insecurity and stabilise our region. Member states must make extra commitments on providing resources for stabilising the region,” Tinubu had said.
The Guardian
