Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Muhammadu Buhari has reminded his colleagues in the sub-regional body that despite some successes, there are still a lot of challenges ahead of it.
He listed such challenges as including difficulties in the economic, governance, peace, security and humanitarian fields.
The ECOWAS Chairman, who is also the President of Nigeria, in his welcome address today, Saturday, at the opening session of the 54th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, Nigeria, reminded members of the primary objective of body as set out in its Treaty.
According to President Buhari, the Treaty is to “promote cooperation and integration, leading to the establishment of an Economic and Monetary Union in West Africa, in order to raise the living standards of our people and contribute to the progress and development of the African continent”.
He stressed that as a Community, the aspiration should be to “create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and cohesive region, based on good governance and where our people have the capacity to access and harness its resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development, job creation and environmental preservation.”
The Nigerian leader said that such lofty ideals cannot be attained without peace and security, which is why he said, he had decided to make the issue of peace and security the major focus of his Chairmanship.
“I am happy to inform this august assembly that our efforts have started yielding dividends as we have been able to douse tension and restore confidence in some potentially disruptive political situations, particularly in Guinea Bissau, Togo and Mali.”
President Buhari noted that the gathering of the ECOWAS leaders is a clear testimony of their continued collective resolve and commitment to the effective integration of the West African sub-region.
“We applaud the significant progress made by our Community in the recent past, particularly in the areas of political governance, peace and security as well as economic and social fields. These achievements have positioned ECOWAS as an example of a regional economic community on our continent.”
He commended the individual efforts of members not only for striving to promote peace, stability and development in their respective countries but also for their unwavering commitment to regional issues of interest and concern.
Buhari also expressed satisfaction with significant progress made through members’ collective efforts towards the resolution of the political and institutional crisis in Guinea Bissau, adding that within the framework of the regional solidarity, “we have assisted the Governments of Togo and Mali in tackling political and security problems while also addressing food challenges in parts of the sub-region.
“We have also extended electoral support and assistance to several countries and acted pro-actively to neutralize some potential conflicts through preventive diplomacy before they exploded. In this connection, we welcome the successful elections held in Sierra Leone and Mali in 2018.”
“Our determination to create a safe and stable sub-region must be predicated on a strong and capable organization. You will all agree with me that no institution can function effectively without adequate funding.
“This would require that all hands are on deck and that all Member States ensure the payment of the Statutory Community Levy as and as when due. By so doing, we will empower and enable the Commission to implement the Integration Agenda, as we march towards the year 2020, and actualize our vision of building an ECOWAS of Peoples and not of States.
“In light of the continuing fragility of our economies linked closely to commodity prices, our nascent democracies, the negative effects of climate change on our farming systems, the globalisation of crime and terrorism, we are required on a daily basis, to join forces to eliminate these factors that militate against a secure, conducive and prosperous environment for the benefit of our people. These realities remind us of the need for even stronger intra-ECOWAS solidarity in order to address emerging challenges.
“This is indeed the very sense of our Union. To that end, important decisions are taken in the course of our meetings, with the goal of impacting transforming positively on the lives of our citizens.”
