- Vows To Build Democratic Values In West Africa
- Appoints Special Envoys To Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Republic
- Emphasises Expediency Of A Standby Force To Tackle Terrorism
President Bola Tinubu has made the strengthening of democratic values in the West African region his primary objective following his re-election as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The Matrix reports that Tinubu was first elected as the Chairman of the West African Bloc in July 2023 in Guinea-Bissau shortly after becoming Nigeria’s president.
His first tenure as the ECOWAS chair was characterised by coups in the region as military juntas have taken over power in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic. While the regional bloc slammed sanctions on the countries, these nations left the body and vowed not to return.
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However, on Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Abuja, Tinubu was re-elected at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.
In his acceptance speech after his re-election, the Nigerian president said his leadership will continue to strengthen democracy among member nations of the West African bloc.
“I have accepted to continue the service to the great members and the great minds that are committed to democratic values and our journey in the region,” Tinubu said according to a statement by his spokesman Ajuri Ngelale.
“I will continue to serve our interest and build on democratic values and the structure that we inherited. Thank you very much.”
In a move to resolve the ongoing crisis with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic, President Tinubu after his re-election appointed the Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and the President of Togo Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé as Special Envoys to the three countries.
“I have appointed the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to please become our Special Envoy to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic, along with the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, to do around-the-clock work with our brothers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic, and to coordinate with me and the ECOWAS Commission, where necessary,” Tinubu said.
President Tinubu had earlier called on Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to work towards the establishment and sustenance of a regional standby force for the security and economic advancement of the community.
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The President emphasized the expediency of a standby force in the face of growing security threats in the region.
“The Regional Action Plan against Terrorism has enhanced cooperation on training, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian interventions. In addition to this, the Ministers of Finance and Defence met recently in Abuja to raise funds for activating the ECOWAS Standby Force to boost counter-terrorism efforts.
“Member countries are also displaying their commitment to combating insecurity by individually increasing their defence budgets in order to acquire necessary equipment and ensure preparedness,’’ the President said.
President Tinubu urged member states to commit more to providing the needed resources for securing the region.
“Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potential. As we move 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 Defence and Finance, in order to counter insecurity and stabilize our region,’’ the President added.
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President Tinubu advised ECOWAS leaders to leverage the capabilities of Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), which has been widely acknowledged as one of the best on the continent.
The President said his government has decided to make the NCTC a regional centre to enable all ECOWAS member states to benefit from capacity building and other related opportunities it offers.
President Tinubu also advised the management of ECOWAS to re-align and reposition its priorities by reducing overheads and setting up in-country steering committees.
“Difficult economic conditions and inconsistent payment of financial commitments to ECOWAS have contributed to the current plight. To ensure ECOWAS has adequate resources for its programmes and activities, I urge all member states to ensure full compliance with the Protocol on the Community Levy.
“Nigeria, under my leadership, is committed to leading by example in remitting its collected levies to the organization. Nevertheless, the ECOWAS management must also reduce its overhead expenditures and focus on programmes and activities that directly impact the lives of our citizens.
“I am aware of the progress report on the implementation of the ECOWAS Institutional Reforms. I therefore call on the President of the ECOWAS Commission to resume and expedite the conclusion of the second phase of the Institutional Reforms, aimed at reducing the organization’s operational costs,’’ the President said.
President Tinubu also earlier welcomed a new member of the Authority, Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
“Allow me to further extend warm congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Senegal for their steadfastness in the consolidation of democratic governance.
“Their recently concluded presidential election has been widely adjudged as free, fair, transparent, and credible. This achievement is a testament to our region’s commitment to the principles of democracy, good governance, and rule of law,’’ the President stated.
President Tinubu said the 65th session will review the concerns in the region, adding: “We are aware of the enormous challenges, including terrorist activities and violent extremism threatening to spread from the Sahel region towards the coastal states. The political landscape still remains fragile in some member states, especially those that witnessed unconstitutional changes of government.”
