The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ECOWAS

  • FG to implement ECOWAS biometric identity card

    The Minister of Interior, Lt.- Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), said Federal Government would implement the use of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) biometric identity card.

    He noted that it was part of efforts of the government to curb influx of foreigners into the country.

    Dambazau made this known on Thursday when participants of Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 12 of Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Bwari, Abuja, visited him.

    The ministry may sign a Concession Agreement on the Implementation of the ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card with Euphoria Press Limited on Friday.

    READ ALSO: Heritage Bank launches biometric identity card for PMAN

    The minister explained that ECOWAS Free movement protocol would be accompanied by passports and proper documentation.

    He said the action plan of every country in ECOWAS would be presented “and we will ensure to work with it.

    “We will ensure that we implement the ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card in Nigeria. We will launch it three Months after the signing.’’

    He said that the biometric identity card was a prominent feature in the last ECOWAS Summit in December, 2018 in Abuja.

    According to him, nobody can cross our border without the ECOWAS identity card; these are some of the security arrangements Nigeria is making to address border security issues.

    Danbazau noted that border security was a challenge, adding that Nigerian Immigration Service was responsible for manning the nation’s borders and monitoring movement of people.

    “We had to build a good intelligence gathering system so that we can have a good information. This will build our capacity to monitor and respond to these issues,’’ he said.

    He added that Nigeria also shared intelligence with neighbouring countries, saying “we are also partnering other countries, especially our strategic neighbours and other European countries and international organisations.

    “We are installing a system called Midas to help improve on capacity to monitor our borders, and because of the insurgency in the North-East, we had to partner Nigerian Air Force and build their capacity.’’

    He said that Nigeria had provided a number of vehicles for patrol and had established a number of patrol bases across strategic border-States.

    Earlier the Director of ISS, Mr Ayodele Adeleke, who led the delegation, said that the team was on a visit to understudy the operations of the ministry.

    He raised concerns on internal security in Nigeria, stressing on the need to collaborate with neighbouring countries in addressing the issue.

    Adeleke noted that some youths had died in the Mediterranean, while some were stranded along the routes in attempts to move out of the country.

    He pointed out that International Migration had posed a lot of problems for Nigeria, adding that there was need for relevant agencies to collaborate to tackle the challenges.

    The delegation comprised personnel of the Navy, DSS, EFCC, NSCDC, Police and paramilitary organisations.

    NAN

  • ECOWAS Bank to raise 25b francs in Q1

    The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) plans to raise 25 billion francs (FCFA 25 billion) this quarter as the regional financier continues to explore domestic and international funding opportunities.

    Speaking after the 61st meeting of the board of directors recently, President, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Mr. Bashir Ifo said the bank has a continuous process through which it raises funds from financial markets within the region, Europe and Asia to finance its projects.

    He said the bank plans to raise 25 billion francs within the UEMOA capital market this quarter.

    He noted that the bank has also been authorised to issue a Eurobond in the international capital market, adding that EBID also raises funds on a bilateral basis from Asia especially from EXIM Bank India while discussions are ongoing with China Development Bank.

    He said the board approved partial financing for a $50 million public sector road construction project, the Sasstown-Klowein-road construction project, in the Republic of Liberia which among other crucial components comprises civil works for about 50 kilometres.

    He added that the board also approved the 2018 activity report and 2018 accounts which were both recommended for the approval of the board of governors.

  • Our Girls; ECOWAS Benue Case; 100,000Mw

    Our Chibok girls were kidnapped on April 15, 2014. Leah Sharibu and others are not yet released. Giwa LGA – seven killed, 29 dead in Zamfara this last weekend.

    More important than the elections is the judgment of the ECOWAS court in the case of Rev. Fr. Solomon Mfa & 11 others Vs. Federal Republic Of Nigeria suit no.: ECW/CCJ/APP/11/16 delivered on Tuesday, February 26. In the Suit filed by the Movement Against Fulani Occupation (MAFO) and some individual plaintiffs against Nigeria seeking declarations, compensation and damages for various human rights violations of communities in Benue State following armed herdsmen attacks.

    The court held that Nigeria violated the human rights of Benue communities by not protecting them, providing succour and not investigating and prosecuting perpetrators.

    The court upheld that herdsmen were attacking and killing and not that Benue people were killing each other.

    The court found Nigeria culpable by not upholding the fundamental principle of Article 1, African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights that not only do states, parties recognize the rights, duties and freedoms enshrined in the charter, they also respect them and give effect to them and are in violation of the African charter even if the state or its agents were not the perpetrators.

    The Court ordered:

    That Nigeria should immediately set up a commission to enquire into the atrocities committed by the herdsmen against Benue communities, identify, prosecute the culprits and ameliorate the victims’  hardships.

    The federal government should immediately deploy machinery in the affected areas and beef up security to forestall further attacks on Benue communities.

    The court however, declined to award damages and compensation for the victims and affected communities because the plaintiffs did not list the names (and details) of the killed and injured, the actual properties destroyed and its value etc. (At filing April, 2016 these details were not available).

    The court’s judgments are not appealable but it can review judgment.

    Hurray!!! A wonderful victory for the tortured and those 2-3 million IDPs rendered beggars. Give them due compensation before their rightful billions get stolen/eaten by any locust politicians in 2019-2023.

    Whatever the elections results, corrupted or not, the incoming politicians are offered yet another four yearly and perhaps the last opportunity to really save this country. The people’s desperate and rightful needs and now their lives have been rubbished for the politicians’ greed for too long- over 50 years. Be warned that country will die financially, medically, educationally and ‘road-network-ly’, if we have no real political sacrifice and service. Serve with dignity and honesty for three years 11 months and steal in the last one month if you have been cursed at birth to steal from the children of Nigeria- a grave hell-bound sin!!!

    We must all join in 2019 to end Boko Haram mayhem and the national 20+ year armed herdsmen militia deliberately marauding and murdering our children. My solution like others offered for 10+ years is ‘Breed and keep the cows in the North on ranches in their vast lands and grow grass locally to feed them or bring grass to feed them from elsewhere and transport the cows to markets nationwide by rail and road on demand’.

    This will stop the murderous clashes immediately. Nigeria cannot survive another murderous four years. A cow meat boycott will be a real consideration as the value of the cow will plummet to nothing rendering the wealth of the owners into nothing. It does not have to be that way but soon no Nigerian will want to eat a cow brought to the table at the expense of the blood of another Nigerian family’s loved ones. Pictures of IDPs should remind us all of misery of these wonderful downtrodden compatriots. The problem may be deeper than cow trouble but the cow problem is solvable by avoiding contact and combat. We may be forced to have cows roam our schools and hospital compounds but no one can force-feed us cow meat and that would have become ‘blood cow’ like ‘blood diamonds’ and ‘blood oil’. People must not die, be displaced or be distressed for other people’s economic advantage.

    Other areas needing total solution include 24/7 electricity. Nigerians across the country are financially facing ruin from the high cost of substituting for a powerless country. Nigerians from every home, family and business are forced to burn billions weekly due to the profound and disgraceful incompetence of government in the past 40 years and lack of creativity in solving the power problem.

    Japan so loved its people that it provided emergency 10,000Mw in three months when an earthquake destroyed a whole Fukushima nuclear plant that is less than 5% of its needs. Nigeria has no natural disaster and no 10,000Mw for all its 150,000Mw needs. But it has CINS- Corrupt, Incompetent Negligent and Selfish politics and political parties and politicians and governments. Incoming governments must know that 24/7 power will reduce the cost of living, put more naira in pockets, reduce cost of entrepreneurial startups, doing business and production costs. This will translate into cheaper business, huge job opportunities and reduced emotional and financial family and office stress with fewer suicides increasing the happiness factor nationwide.

     

    • LAST CHANCE – Please Vote ‘I LOVE NIGERIA’ KNOWLEDGEABLE CANDIDATES ON MARCH 9th-SDG 16.

  • SERAP sues Fed Govt, states at ECOWAS Court over ‘attacks on reporters, bloggers’

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the federal and state governments at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice, Abuja over alleged frequent and repressive application of the Cybercrime Act to harass, arrest, detain and unfairly prosecute anyone found publishing views or facts perceived to be critical of their administration.

    In the suit filed by its solicitor,  Femi Falana (SAN),  last week at the ECOWAS Court, SERAP is seeking a declaration that the actions of the defendants and its agents and states of the federation in arbitrarily enforcing the provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 particularly its section 24 to harass, intimidate, arrest, detain, prosecute and imprison journalists, bloggers, and social media users, violate the rights to freedom of expression, information, opinion and privacy and media freedom.

    He said this is contrary to Articles 6,8,9 and 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; Articles 7,9,17 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party

    It prayed the court for a declaration that the provisions of the Cybercrime Act 2015 are entirely inconsistent and incompatible with international human rights standards and infringe on the rights to the freedom of expression, information and opinion guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

    It also asked for a declaration that the continuing use and application by the defendant and its agents and several states in Nigeria of the Cybercrime Act 2015 is illegal and unlawful, as it amounts to breaches of obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights to freedom of expression and information and media freedom.

    The organisation, therefore, asked the court for an order directing the defendants to immediately repeal or amend the Cybercrime Act 2015 in line with Nigerian obligations under international human rights law

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

  • ECOWAS Court blames FG for Agatu killings

    The Community Court of the Economic Community of West African State ( ECOWAS ) has found the Nigerian government guilty of failing in its duty to protect the human rights of members of Agatu Community in Benue State, who were attacked and killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

    The court, in a judgment in a suit marked, ECW/CCJ/APP/11/16, ordered the Nigerian government to investigate the 2016 mass killings and destruction of properties in the Agatu Community in Benue State, identify and prosecute the perpetrators and redress the victims.

    In the judgment delivered on January 26 this year, a three-member panel of the court found the government of Nigeria in ‘violation of their obligation to protect the human rights of the Agatu Community and prevent its violation.’

    In the lead judgment by Justice Dupe Atoki, the court also ordered the government to provide adequate security by deploying more security personnel to the ‘area to protect the Community and prevent further occurrences of that mayhem.’

    Relying on Article 1 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right, to which the country is signatory, the court held that in view of the fact that the mass killings and destruction were admitted by both parties and uncontroverted therefore need no proof, the Respondent is under obligation to recognize the rights enshrined in the charter and adopt legislative or other measures to give effect to them.

    It said the respondent is obliged to protect the human rights of its citizens, in the instant case, the Agatu communities as guaranteed under the African Charter and prevent their violations even by private actors.

    The court had earlier rejected the argument of the defendants contesting the locus of the plaintiffs by holding that the law recognizes the right of individuals and corporate bodies who are not victims to bring an action in a representative capacity under the principle of actio popularis.

    The court also rejected the contention of the defendants that they cannot be held responsible for any ethnic crime committed by unidentified and unknown persons, which constitute a breach as these perpetrators are not connected or known to the Defendants or any of its agencies.

    The court ruled that it could not award the monetary compensation of five hundred billion naira demanded by the plaintiffs as it has no record of the details of the victims, their names, gender, age, address while the properties destroyed have also not been specifically identified nor their value indicated.

    The Solicitor General of the Federation, Dayo Apata, who represented the defendants had blamed the crisis that engulfed the State and its environment on ethnic differences between the Agatu community and the Fulani community over farming and rearing of animals as has been established by various panels of enquiry set up at different times in a bid to proffer solution.

    He argued that the crisis between the two rival communities are not based on security lapses or the inability of the Federal or State Governments to protect the lives and properties of the people of state as security agencies were deployed to the Agatu community for the purpose of ensuring the protection of lives and properties in the interest of peace and security.

    The suit was filed by Reverend Father Solomon MFA and the 11 others namely: Reverend Joseph Dooga, Dr. Sam Abah, Dr.David Iordaah, Hon. Ochepo Yakubu, Hon. Terse Tange, Favour Adah Paul, Samuel Msonter Ijoho, Iorbee Bajah, Ashi Bajah, Terseer Iorbee Bajah and Movement Against Fulani Occupation(MAFO) .

    Listed as defendants are the President of Nigeria, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff and the Minister of Internal Affairs, who plaintiffs accused of violating their fundamental human rights.

    The applicants claimed that within the last three years, Fulani Herdsmen have carried out over 50 (fifty) major attacks on Benue communities the most prominent of them taking place in 15 out of 23 Local Government Areas of the State namely, Agatu, Gwer East, Gwer West, Makurdi, Guma, Tarka, Buruku, Katsina Ala, Logo, Ukum, Kwande, Oju, Obi and Konshisha.

    They also alleged that affected communities have been completely overwhelmed and are now desolate and devastated as they have suffered wanton destruction of their properties and lives including: burning down and general destruction of houses and homes, sundry household items, farms, crops, economic trees, vehicles, machineries, food stuffs, schools etc.

    The plaintiffs claimed that over 1000 people have been killed, according to documents filed before the Court with hundreds of thousands displaced while others are living in deplorable make shift camps and properties worth billions of naira destroyed in their communities by these ravaging Fulani Herdsmen this year alone.

    They claimed that the action of the defendants’ by not constituting an investigation panel nor taking measures to forestall a reoccurrence, amounted to negligence, was oppressive, arbitrary, capricious, and for Injuring the dignity and pride of the Applicants and for causing them great physical and psychological trauma.

  • Boy, 9, petitions EU, ECOWAS over killing

    A nine-year-old boy, Paul Akinwale, has petitioned the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), following the death of his parents, sister and a relation in a road accident.

    Akinwale, through his counsel, Olusina Akeredolu and Adewale Aribatise, alleged that his father, Alex Akinwale, his seven months expectant mother, Rebecca Kehinde Akinwale, his two-year-old sister, Paulina and a teenaged relation, Bose Abiodun, were killed by a vehicle in the convoy of a former deputy governor of Ondo State on February 1, 2014.

    He said the driver of the vehicle, while on official duty, recklessly ran into the late Mr. Akinwale’s vehicle, killing the occupants, except him (Paul).

    Paul said he and his family were returning to Akure from a burial in Ondo town, when the accident occurred on the Ondo-Akure Road, at about 11am.

    He said he was five years old at the time and was badly injured, but miraculously survived after treatment.

    In the November 19, 2018 petition, Paul spoke through Akeredolu and Aribatise, who are the executive director and director of operations of ‘The Detainees & Indigent Help Centre’, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

    He said at the time of the incident, his parents were employees of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Akure, Ondo State.

    “The family has done every possible thing, including the use of lawyers and the court to get justice for the untimely death of four members of his family and his hospital/ therapy care, but the Ondo State Government is not willing to do anything in form of compensation to the orphaned boy,” the petition said.

    It called on the international organisations to join forces to demand justice for Paul and mount pressure on the Ondo State Government “so that it will not get away with this impunity, recklessness and lack of conscience against the poor little orphan.”

    The petition said the incident was the subject matter of a suit marked HID/7/2016 at an Ondo State High Court between Paul Akinwale and three defendants: the deputy governor, the Ondo State Government and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

    But the case was stalled to enable the parties explore an out of court settlement option.

     

  • UN, AU, ECOWAS to parties: exercise restraint on election results

    The UN, African Union (AU) and ECOWAS have urged political parties to exercise restraint as the Independent National Electoral Commission announces the results of the presidential and National Assembly elections.

    In a statement by the international bodies made available on Tuesday by the ECOWAS Commission, they also urged candidates to continue to exercise patience for the complete results.

    “The attention of the ECOWAS, AU and the UN has been drawn to the rejection of the results of the presidential election of Feb.23, 2019 by one of the participating political parties, even as they are still in the process of being released.

    “ECOWAS, AU and the UN call on all candidates, political parties and indeed all Nigerians to continue to exercise patience, calm and restraint, in order to allow for the full results of the election to be released by INEC.

    They further encouraged aggrieved parties and persons to resort to legal means to seek redress, in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws, as agreed in the Peace Accord of Feb. 13.

  • AfDB, ECOWAS okay $22.72m for Lagos-Abidjan highway

    The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) yesterday sealed a funding deal  to develop the Abidjan -Lagos corridor highway.

    The deal is in line with the requirement for the disbursement of grants from the European Union (EU’s) 54v-vvEU’s African Investment Facility (AIF) for the programme.

    The total cash involved in the agreement is $22.72 million. The EU is supporting the project with $9.13 million while AfDB is providing $11.06 million.

    The Abidjan-Lagos corridor is approximately 1,080 km long and it connects some of the largest economic cities in Africa, namely: Abidjan, Accra, Cotonou, Lome and Lagos.

    It is estimated that nearly 40 million people live along this corridor, while about 47 million people travel along this axis annually.

    The project when completed is expected to boost trade among the ECOWAS member states.

    Speaking during the agreement signing ceremony, President, ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Brou, said infrastructure still remains a challenge to the sub-region despite the progress made so far.

    To address the challenge, he said the sub-region has made infrastructure a top priority, which according to him gave birth to the signing of the agreement between the regional body and AfDB.

    He said: “The regional strategic framework of ECOWAS has therefore prioritised the development of key regional infrastructure to foster a competitive business environment and increase inter trade in the region.

    “The Abidjan-Lagos corridor is approximately 1,080 km long and connects some of the largest  and economical dynamic cities in Africa namely, Abidjan, Accra, Cotonou, Lome and Lagos and covers a large proportion of West Africa. It also  links very vibrant seaport which serves the landlocked  countries  of the region Burkina Faso, mail and Niger.

    “The signing of the grant Retrocession Agreement is in line with the requirements for disbursement of grant fund from the EU from its AFIF for the Abidjan – Lagos  corridor highway development project. The EU contribution of 9.13million euros was mobilised through the AfDB which also contributed approximately $11.06 million (Grant & Loan) from the African Development Fund making it a total of $22.72 million  for the project.”

  • ECOWAS common currency not realistic in 2020, says analyst

    Former Chief Economist/Group Head, Research & Economic Intelligence Group at Zenith Bank Plc, Marcel Okeke, has said the plan by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to achieve single currency for the region by 2020 is no longer realistic.

    He spoke at the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) 2018 Economic Review and 2019 0utlook held in Lagos at the weekend.

    Okeke, who is now the Lead Consultant, Mascot Consult Limited, said single currency for the region comes with some challenges and criteria that many of the member countries will not be able to meet.

    According to him, the ECOWAS common currency has been on for many years and needs the member-countries to attain key milestones for its successful takeoff.

    “It is not certain that it will happen in 2020. For instance, a country like Nigeria and other countries must not have inflation rates that are double digits. They must not have exchange rates that move up and down. So, there must be stability in all those indicators across board. As I stand with you, many member countries have not attained this feat,” he said.

    Continuing, he said there are pros and cons for its implementation. “You see, some member countries of the Euro zone are having serious economic problem, which is rubbing off on the rest of the members.That is the type of challenge we might have in ECOWAS and I do not believe that the common currency plan will happen by year 2020,” he added.

    Speaking on the banking system, Okeke said that banks do not operate in a vacuum but area product of the domestic economy where they do their business. “They are part and parcel of the economy. All these variables, if the economy is doing well, generally, the banks will also be doing well. On the other hand, how well a bank does is also a function of creativity. The truth is that even in an economy as bad as this, some businesses are still doing well in the system. And so, a bank that is efficient, no matter the odds in the system, will keep on doing well,” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “If you check, and if one of us have one or two accounts or three, you will notice that whatever you do with your phone, there is a service charge. Those charges were not there years back. It means those banks are becoming more creative. And you cannot on the course of that, decide to keep your money under your pillow in your house. As long as you keep banking your money, and they keep making those gains, and adding them to their performance, and balance sheet, they will keep doing well”.

    According to Okeke, banks are also careful as to who to lend money to because of interest rates on loans. “The essence is that if the rates are high, they will not be keen on lending to everyone that comes. So, that means they want to give money to borrowers with capacity to repay the loans”.

    “In a nutshell, those banks that have been doing well will keep doing well. That means there will not be undue exposures to the banks. I will say that the banks the are doing well to do well, head or tail. Some of the banks are going into forced mergers and acquisitions, but many other banks are still waxing stronger,” he stated.

    Speaking on the economy, he said foreign exchange reserves in Nigeria decreased to $41.99 billion in November from $42.13 billion in October of 2018, adding that the Nigeria’s external reserves inched up to $42.54 billion at the end of December.

    The figures, he said, showed a decline by $5.25 billion, compared with the $47.788 billion it was as at the end of June, 2018.  “It stood at $43.28 billion as at January 21, 2019. The combination of rising yields in advanced economies, particularly in the United  States coupled with growing concerns about the global economy due to the trade spat between the US and China have led to a reversal of capital flows in emerging markets. Elevated tensions in the political economy will further compound the concerns of foreign investors, leading them to migrate to safe haven high-quality assets in advanced economies,” he added.

    Speaking on inflation, he said the annual inflation rate in Nigeria fell to 11.26 per cent in October of 2018 from 11.28 percent in the previous month.  “According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the headline index rose to 11.23 per cent (year-on-year) in August 2018, up from 11.14 recorded in July 2018. It has risen to 11.28 per cent in November and ended 2018 at 11.44 per cent. The rise in the headline index is traceable to the persistent surge in food inflation index. Inflation rate stood at 15.37 per cent in January, 2018,” he stated.

     

  • Buhari congratulates Tshisekedi of DRC over election, inauguration

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the newly elected President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on his victory and inauguration.

    The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, also commended the Government and people of DRC for their determination and commitment to democratic principles, which resulted in the first peaceful transfer of democratic power since independence in 1960.

    The Nigerian leader and ECOWAS Chairman, also saluted the Congolese people for peacefully exercising their franchise during the national elections in their country.

    Read Also: Buhari unveils CBN project at UNEC

    Following the affirmation of President Tshisekedi’s victory at the December 30, 2018 polls, by the Constitutional Court of the country, President Buhari urged all Congolese, especially political stakeholders to rally behind the new leader and support his vision to build ‘‘a modern, peaceful, democratic State for every citizen,’’ as succinctly expressed in his inauguration speech on Thursday.

    Recognizing the important role played by former President Joseph Kabila in the historic electoral process and transition, President Buhari assured the new Congolese leader of Nigeria’s readiness to work with his government to consolidate peace, stability, reconciliation and development in the Central African country.