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Tag: ECOWAS

  • Morocco’s admittance into ECOWAS: Why OPS is kicking

    Morocco’s admittance into ECOWAS: Why OPS is kicking

    Members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) are literarily up in arms against moves by Morocco to join the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They insist that Nigeria must not allow the North African country’s  admission into the regional body, arguing that doing so will be tantamount to signing the European Union (EU) sponsored Economic Partnership Agreement through the back door, which they say will hurt the industrial sector and the economy. Assistant Editor OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE looks at issues agitating OPS members’ minds.

    groundswell of opposition has continued to trail Morocco’s application to become a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Leading the campaign to halt the North African country’s admittance into the regional organisation are members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS), particularly Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

    The Association has been literarily up in arms against Morocco’s bid to join the 15-member organisation, arguing that it will not be in Nigeria’s interest as it will hurt the industrial sector and by extension, the economy. The OPS has since then mounted intense pressure on the Federal Government not to allow Morocco to be part of ECOWAS.

    At their meeting in Liberia, sometime in June last year, ECOWAS leaders were said to have agreed in principle to consider Morocco’s request to become a member of the regional trade bloc. But the potential membership of the North African country has not gone down well with the OPS, which has continued to advance several reasons Nigeria must be vehemently opposed to the move.

    MAN President Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, who has been most vociferous in the OPS campaign to halt Morocco’s potential membership of the regional gruop, noted for instance, that by reason of its geographical location, Morocco does not qualify to be admitted into the group. Besides, its trade agreement with the European Union (EU) makes it harmful to allow her join the regional body.

    Jacobs specifically said information available to MAN showed that a trade agreement exists between Morocco and the EU. This, according to him, meant that if Morocco is allowed to join ECOWAS, products that come into Morocco from the EU will end up in Nigeria. This is so because Nigeria is the biggest market amongst the 15-menber countries in ECOWAS.

    The MAN president, therefore, noted that by extension, admitting Morocco into ECOWAS will be equivalent to signing the controversial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between ECOWAS and the EU through the back door. This, he said, will negatively affect the country’s economy as locally manufactured goods will find it extremely difficult to compete with imported products from the EU.

    It would be recalled that the OPS and other concerned individuals have been warning Nigeria to resist EU’s pressure to sign the EPA, which, according to them, will be counter-productive. To them, it will leave Nigeria, especially operators in the industrial sector, holding the short end of the stick. They also argued that endorsing the EPA deal will hurt Nigeria’s industrialisation and job creation drive.

    Under the EPA terms, which triggered OPS’ suspicions, the EU will immediately offer ECOWAS 15-member countries full access to its markets. In return, ECOWAS will gradually open up 75 per cent of its markets, with its 300 million consumers, to the EU over a 20-year period.

    According to OPS, that was not all as the EU will also offer a package valued at about Euros 6.5 billion ($8.94 billion) over the next five years, to help ECOWAS countries cushion the effects and costs of integrating into the global economy. Despite dangling the proverbial carrot, the OPS had kicked its heels in, insisting that the proposed agreement was a union of unequal partners.

    They have consistently warned that signing the agreement in its present form will undermine Nigeria’s industrial sector. They specifically argued that it will impact negatively on local manufacturing and result in shutdown of industries with heavy job losses as a result of unfair competition that will follow.

    To Jacobs and indeed, other real sector operators,  Morocco’s alleged surreptitious move to join the ECOWAS and the EU’s push to get Nigeria endorse the EPA, are two sides of the same coin. Admitting Morocco into ECOWAS, they argued, will give the EU, which already enjoys unfettered access into the North African region, unfettered access to the Nigerian market and probably make it a dumping ground.

    “We, therefore, urge the Federal Government to vehemently oppose the move as it would spell doom to the productive sector of the economy. We are vehemently opposed to Morocco being admitted into the ECOWAS. It will really affect us badly. So, we are telling our government not to allow them become part of ECOWAS,” the MAN said, in a statement.

    OPS members are not only in the campaign against Morocco. The Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN) is also kicking. The group went a notch higher, calling on the government to resist any attempt by other member countries of ECOWAS to admit Morocco into the regional body.

    ARCAN founding Chairman and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ignatius C. Olisemeka, noted that Morocco, by reason of its geographical location, does not qualify to be admitted into the regional organisation.

    He warned that Morocco’s motive was political and aimed at whittling down Nigeria’s strength for her role in the admission of Western Sahara into the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now AU. He, also wondered why the Federal Government has so far not engaged in a vigorous campaign against Morocco’s move, stressing that the government owes Nigerians an explanation.

    The group did not stop there. ARCAN also said Morocco’s admission in principle, if true, would have been one of the most humiliating and lowest points in Nigeria’s foreign policy since independence. It argued that admitting Morocco into ECOWAS would mark the end of the regional bloc, as a new name would be introduced to accommodate countries beyond the border of West Africa.

    Similarly, another group known as the Nigerian Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara is also opposed to Morocco’s admission into ECOWAS. The group said the 15-member nation has little in common with the North African kingdom, especially as it maintains a grip on Western Sahara.

    The group’s convener, Mr. Dipo Fashina, said in a statement that the move by Morocco to join ECOWAS was a direct challenge to Nigeria’s leadership in the sub-region. He, therefore, advised that Nigeria must rise to the occasion and ensure that Morocco’s application for membership is rejected.

     

    Others reasons for OPS’s opposition

    According to OPS,  the ECOWAS region has overtime metamorphosed into a Free Trade Area (FTA) for the 15-member states through the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS). The thinking is that any other non-Western African country joining the community will unduly benefit from the existing free trade in the region.

    Besides, ECOWAS’ treaty, which promotes the reign of a democratically elected president in all member states with a maximum of two terms by interpretation, has no room for monarchical system of government, which Morocco practises.

    Also, based on trend analysis, ECOWAS has little trade benefit expectations from Morocco. The historical trade pattern relations of Morocco revealed no notable trading ties with ECOWAS states.

    Going by her current demand pattern, Morocco trades with Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Russia, Algeria and the EU. All of these imply that over the years, Morocco has little or no trade dealings with ECOWAS states.

    There are also those who argued that Morocco’s memberships of numerous economic blocs pose serious loyalty question. This is because Morocco belongs to the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), an associate country of EU, Arab League and the Union for the Mediterranean.

    The Union for the Mediterranean comprises 28 countries from the EU. This means that granting Morocco ECOWAS membership will afford 28 countries from the EU free access into the regional market, thereby flooding the market with EU products.

    As far as the OPS is concerned, this will be a decoy that will weaken Nigeria’s stance on the ECOWAS-EU EPA, inhibit Nigerian diversification drive and stifle the growth of the manufacturing sector through exploitation of Nigerian and the ECOWAS market.

    These perhaps, explain why OPS members are unimpressed by Morocco’s promise to build infrastructure if admitted into the ECOWAS. As far as they are concerned, the North African country is not economically viable to make good its promise.

    For one, the country’s unemployment level and debt-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio of 64.7 per cent as contained in the 2016 International Monetary Fund (IMF) report are said to be at variance with the IMF’s benchmark of 40 per cent for developing and emerging economies.

    Besides, those opposed to its membership of the ECOWAS argued that the Moroccan economy is not industrialised. They, therefore, wondered where it hopes to get industrial goods to trade with the ECOWAS. To them, Morocco only wants to further EU’s interest by becoming a strategic channel for pushing EU goods, which Nigeria is currently challenging, through the back door.

     

    Nigeria yet to make up its mind on Morocco

    Despite the agitation against Morocco’s admittance into the ECOWAS, the Federal Government said it has not made up its mind on the knotty issue. Minister of State for Commerce, Industry, Trade & Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, said the government will in due course make its position known on it.

    The Minister, however, pledged that the government remained poised towards protecting indigenous manufacturers. But it remains to be seen whether such commitment to protect indigenous manufacturers will mean putting its foot down to stop Morocco’s entrance into the ECOWAS.

  • Tackling illegal financial flows in ECOWAS

    Tackling illegal financial flows in ECOWAS

    The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) has reiterated its commitment to fighting money laundering and terrorist financing across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). About $30.4 billion is being illegally transferred out of Africa yearly. The GIABA is, therefore, empowering key institutions, governments and the media to tackle illicit financial flows within the region, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

    The sorry state of public institutions within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region is disturbing. For instance, in many public schools, students learn sitting on the floors, hospitals lack basic drugs, while the road networks are death traps.

    These societal ills thrive in societies where corruption and illicit financial flows are rampant. Director of Programmes and Projects at the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), ‘Buno Nduka, said public institutions in the ECOWAS region have suffered immensely from the corruption going on in public and private sectors of the economies.

    He called on financial journalists to develop the right skills to help government and public sector operators fight corruption and tackle illicit financial flows.

    He spoke during a three-day regional workshop organised by GIABA on Investigative Reporting on Economic and Financial Crimes for Journalists from West African countries in Saly, Senegal. Speaking at the event held from December 18 to 20, 2017, he disclosed that there is growing concern over illicit financial flows (IFFs) from West African economies, and the need to tackle them by key stakeholders within the region.

    Nduka said human trafficking, kidnapping, sexual exploitations, counterfeiting of currencies, extortion, and outright fraud in the banking sector across the ECOWAS region needed to be checked by financial journalists through investigation. He said reports on such societal ills would enable law enforcement agents to capture the criminals.

    He cited GIABA’s strategic plan, 2016 to 2020 which showed that the Global Financial Integrity (GFI), the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Africa Progress Panel and the African Union’s High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa (AU Panel), which all paint a grim profile of the problem.

    A joint study conducted by the GFI and the AfDB found that between 2000 and 2009, about $30.4 billion was illicitly transferred out of Africa each year. Over a longer period of 30 years, calculated from 1980, the resource drain was between $1.2 and $1.3 trillion.

    Outflows from West and Central Africa stood at (37 per cent), followed by North Africa (31 per cent) and Southern Africa (27 per cent). The IFFs are derived from various predicate offences of money laundering.

    According to GIABA Information Manager, Timothy Melaye, the training, the seventh in a series, brought together financial journalists across the region, was meant to build competent and experienced journalists who will have a general knowledge of money laundering and terrorist financing framework. It was meant to assist participants to produce reports and articles/features of quality on Anti-Money Laundering (ML) and Counter Financing of Terrorist (AML/CFT) issues and improve the network of journalists who will disseminate factual information on AML/CFT developments in West Africa.

    Melaye, who spoke on the theme: Establishing and Running Effective AML/CFT Reporting Networks, spoke on the need to build alliance for effective dissemination of messages and to implement  AML/CFT regimes in the region.

    He explained that GIABA remained a specialised institution of the ECOWAS as well as Financial Action Task Force –Styled Regional Body (FSRB) responsible for combating the scourge of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in West Africa.

    “GIABA is a change agent. We build capacity, collaborate and sanction countries when they refuse to comply with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 recommendations. We also promote the economies of member ECOWAS states,” he said.

    He, however, said that GIABA cannot implement sanctions against money launderers but can make public statements against countries with significant deficiencies in implementing the FATF recommendations.

    He said such public statement against a blacklisted country could dry up foreign investments into affected countries, and spread the message that such country is not safe for business.

    One of the facilitators, Head, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, urged investigative journalists to strive to tell accurate and authentic stories that reflect reality.

    Speaking on the theme: Dealing with Sources in Investigative Journalism: Building Trust and Cooperation, she said journalists should always use primary and secondary sources to give their reports authenticity. “Every financial journalist should know that no single source can provide all the information they might need, even as each source likely leads to another. And since some of the sources contradict each other, the financial journalists must find out where the weight of evidence lies. They have to seek original sources such as documents to determine which version is true,” she said.

    According to Ogwezzy-Ndisika, good financial journalists must obtain information through direct observation, interviews and secondary data and, at times, should combine the three techniques to achieve the best results.

    “On-the-scene observation is one of the fundamentals of good reporting. Journalists want to witness events for themselves whenever possible so that they can describe them accurately to the audience. Good reporters use all of their sense on the scene. They look, listen, smell, taste and feel the story so the audience can too,” she said.

    Speaking on building trust and co-operation, she said most interviews were conducted “on the record”, which means the journalist can use anything that is said and attribute it directly to the source. It is important to make sure the source knows this, especially when the journalist is dealing with ordinary people who are not accustomed to being quoted in the news.

    “If the information is not to be record, both the journalist and the source must agree in advance to the conditions under which the information can be used. Also, the financial journalist must understand the use of ‘embargo on information provided by the source. That means the information was provided by the source on the condition that it is not to be used until a specified time,” Ogwezzy-Ndisika said.

    A journalist who accepts information under embargo is bound to honour it unless the news becomes public before the specified time. She disclosed that whatever is said off-the-record should not be repeated to another source, but can be a tip-off for a story that is worth pursuing. According to her, the central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to function in a free society.

    A veteran journalist and presenter from Senegal, Mame Less Camara, said financial journalists needed to ensure that information they disseminate is accurate. He said there was no need rushing to press without verifying the authenticity of reports, because that can disrupt the peace and progress of the society.

    He said publishing unverified stories would lead to loss of credibility on the part of the reporter, and could also constitute a risk to life. “Investigation helps to fight financial crimes, but the journalist must ensure that the information he has is accurate and genuine. Investigative journalists should be well informed,” he said.

    Also speaking, Bisi Olawuyi of the Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan, who spoke on ‘Practical Guides in Writing Investigative Features’ explained that investigative Journalism “are the hard stories, hard to assemble and hard to tell”, which involves “interviews to sort through leads, establish connections and corroborated sources, followed by writing and rewriting to bring clarity to complex issues.

    According to him, it is a very technical aspect of journalism which requires digging deep into what somebody is trying to cover. Oftentimes, the reporter and the respondent work at a cross-purpose because one is trying to expose what the other is trying hide.

    On features writing, he said: “Writers seldom use the inverted pyramid form. Instead, they may write a chronology that builds to a climax at the end, a narrative, a first-person article about one of their own experiences or a combination of these. Feature stories are intricately joined together by a thread, and they often end where the lead started”.

     

    Dangers of terrorist financing

    GIABA’s Strategic Plan, 2016 to 2020, said some of the funds that support the violent extremism being experienced in some parts of the region either originate from West Africa or traverse it.

    It said the escalation of terrorist  acts being committed by Boko  Haram, Ansar Dine, Al Qaeda in  the Maghreb (AQIM) and the  Movement  for  Oneness  and  Jihad  in West Africa (MUJAO), has attracted regional and global concern.

    In September 2015, Amnesty International reported that from  January 2015, Boko Haram had  killed more than 3,500 civilians  across four countries (Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and Niger). “The resilience of the terrorist networks suggests that they have been innovative in sustaining themselves,  using various methods and techniques to raise, move and utilise funds in order to carry out terrorist activities. Smuggling of goods has been found to be central to the financing of terrorist activities,” it said.

     

     

     

     

    GIABA recognises that AML/CFT measures are always implemented in an environment where other priorities compete for the attention and resources of authorities; therefore, harnessing and  mobilising  resources coupled  with  efficient  utilisation  of  such  resources  is  critical.

     

  • How ECOWAS free movement treaty affects Nigeria, by Ogbeh, others

    How ECOWAS free movement treaty affects Nigeria, by Ogbeh, others

    IN times past, agriculture was the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. As a matter of fact, a lot of countries depend solely on agriculture for survival and sustenance.

    Despite the neglect it suffered following the discovery of oil in commercial quantity, the importance of agriculture can never be over-emphasised, as it provides livelihoods for a larger percentage of the citizens.

    The determination of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member nations to fast-track regional development through economic integration was the raison d’être behind the decision of the heads of regional organisation to enact and adopt the ECOWAS Free Movement treaty in May 1979.

    The treaty aims at strengthening sub-regional economic integration via progressive freer movement of goods, capital and people, while consolidating the efforts of the member states to maintain peace, stability and security.

    The ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of People and Goods ensures free mobility of the citizens of member states.

    It confers on the people of the region, the right to enter and reside in the territory of any member state, provided they have valid travel documents and international health certificate.

    Although the main aim of the treaty is to boost economic activities, including agriculture, concerned observers note that some citizens of member countries have been abusing this entry privilege, to the detriment of other member nations.

    The member nations of ECOWAS are Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

    In the case of Nigeria, some agriculturalists moan that the constant abuse of the treaty, owing to the porous nature of the borders, has contributed to some challenges facing the country’s agricultural sector.

    They believe the treaty’s implementation in the region is somewhat an impediment to the realisation of the Federal Government’s plans to make agriculture the mainstay of the country’s economy.

    They insist that the free movement of persons and goods within the region is a contributory factor to the rising cases of insecurity of lives and property, smuggling of agricultural produce, farmers-herdsmen crisis and transference of some animal diseases in the region.

    Speaking on the impact of the treaty on agriculture, Agriculture & Rural Development Minister Audu Ogbeh, said some ECOWAS citizens were abusing the treaty.

    The minister, who spoke while analysing the achievements of the Buhari-administration in the agricultural sector, noted that the abuse of the treaty had promoted smuggling of agricultural products, particularly grains; thereby sabotaging the Federal Government’s plans to ensure attainment of self-sufficiency in the production of rice and other produce.

    He said: “We will like to advise our neighbours who believe that the ECOWAS treaty means that Nigeria is a volunteer nation for economic suicide.

    “We have no such plans; we cannot destroy our own economy to make any neighbour happy.

    “The ECOWAS treaty does not suggest that any country can be an avenue of smuggling foreign goods, which are not produced in that country, for dumping in a neighbouring territory.

    “If that practice persists, I do not think that government is far away from considering permanently closing certain borders very near us; and when we do, nothing will make us change our minds on the issue, ECOWAS treaty or not.’’ Reinforcing the minister’s viewpoint, the National Chairman, Association of Indigenous Sea Food Stakeholders, Lamina Rasheed, said that Nigeria lost N9 billion revenue annually to illegal fish importation and smuggling through the land borders.

    He frowned at the development, saying that it had negatively affected the business of many genuine importers and local fish farmers across the country.

    Rasheed said that illegal fish importation was still ongoing through the land borders, adding that the establishment of a monitoring and prosecution task force would be helpful in efforts to curb the menace.

    He appealed to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to step up efforts to curtail the activities of smugglers.

    Also speaking, Baba Ngelzarma, the National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), said that some pastoralists who engaged in conflicts with farmers were foreigners.

    Ngelzarma, who bemoaned the excesses of some foreign herdsmen, urged security agencies to increase their surveillance on foreign herdsmen coming into the country in order to monitor their activities.

    He said: “If you look at the international routes that allow the international pastoralists to enter into the country, those routes are not monitored by any security outfit in the country.

    “What we discovered in Niger is that before they allow their pastoralists come into Nigeria, they have to give them permits, know where they are going to and the number of cows that they are taking out before allowing them to go.

    “And if the number of their cows increases when they are coming back, they would be questioned. However, that system of check is what is absent in Nigeria.’’

    Ngelzarma also called for a synergy between the governments of those states in the border areas and the neighbouring countries in efforts to curtail the excesses of some international pastoralists.

    He said: “Niger Republic usually allows all their international pastorialists to come into Nigeria around December because by December, they must have gathered their farm produce but in Nigeria, our harvest period is not the same.

    “The time they release their pastoralists to come to Nigeria is the time when our farmers are still busy with their cultivation in farms.

    “There is no synergy between our country and the neighbouring countries; we have to work together and if this is done, the incessant farmers-herdsmen crises will reduce significantly.’’

    Nevertheless, Ernest Aubee, the Head of Agriculture Division, ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, emphasised that the ECOWAS protocol did not promote illegality.

    He said that the citizens of member countries, who were fond of hiding under the guise of the protocol to perpetrate evils, were criminals flouting national laws.

    Aubee, nonetheless, stressed that the abuse of the treaty by some citizens of member states was totally “unacceptable’’.

    Aubee said: “No one should trade in commodities that are going to be detrimental to any member state.

    “You cannot take something that is sub-standard — something that is bad — and then move it from country A to country B, just to make money.

    “It is unacceptable for anybody to try to dump substandard foods in any ECOWAs member states.

    “It is also unacceptable if you decide to violate, not just the regional laws but also the national laws of a country, when it comes to food quality and food safety issues.

    “My appeal to all business people, especially those involved in the trade of agricultural commodities, is that they should respect the regulations and the protocols on free movement of peoples, goods and services.

    “They should also respect other protocols dealing with the marketing products from one place to another.’’

    Perceptive analysts acknowledge that no region of the world that is totally free from the incidence of trans-border wrongdoings in the agricultural sector but they insist that pragmatic efforts should be made to address the perceptible challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

    They add that the challenges that have somewhat resulted in poverty, inequality, hunger, unemployment and corruption in the country.

    The analysts insist that if the Federal Government must succeed in its efforts to diversify the economy through agriculture, it must initiate decisive strategies to combat all the barriers inhibiting the growth of the agricultural sector.

  • Why Buhari cancelled Niger trip – Presidency

    Why Buhari cancelled Niger trip – Presidency

    The Presidency on Monday explained why President Muhammadu Buhari cancelled his planned trip to Niger Republic.

    Special Adviser on media and publicity to the President Femi Adesina had announced on Sunday that President Buhari had been invited to join other world leaders for the celebration of the 59th year of the country’s independence.

    Giving reasons for the cancellation of the trip, Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity Garba Shehu said Niger Republic invited the leaders of neighboring states, the Presidents of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Nigeria.

    Garba said President Buhari felt satisfied that he had useful discussions with his friend and brother, President Mahamadou Issoufou in the course of the weekend meeting in Abuja, of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.

    He said “after a phone call last night between the leaders, President Buhari decided to send a delegation made up of the three governors of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States along with the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs to represent him.”

  • Buhari tasks ECOWAS leaders on terrorism, human, drug trafficking

    Buhari tasks ECOWAS leaders on terrorism, human, drug trafficking

    •Seeks regional measures to evacuate, resettle, empower stranded citizens abroad

    President Muhammadu  Buhari yesterday charged leaders in the West African sub-region on the need to urgently tackle the challenges of terrorism, human trafficking and drug trafficking in the area.

    According to him, the problems are greatly affecting young men, women and economies of the region.

    He spoke in Abuja while delivering welcome address at the 52nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

    He said “In West Africa, we live in constant threat of violent terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, AQIM and Al-Qaida. Nearly every week we see and hear the horror of human trafficking perpetrated by trans-border syndicates, who lure our youths to slavery through irregular migration.

    “We see the consequences, on our young men and women and on our economies, of drug trafficking and capital flight.” Accordingly, it is imperative that we take urgent action to address these challenges.

    “In collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration, we, in Nigeria, have been evacuating our compatriots who are stranded in Libya. Returnees have been receiving needed support including from state governments and   some non-governmental organisations.

    “I have instructed the National Emergency Management Agency to speed up the evacuation of all Nigerians stranded in Libya and facilitate their resettlement.

    “In view of the enormity of this challenge, may I suggest that we look into the possibility of putting in place a well run regional mechanism for the evacuation, resettlement  and empowerment of stranded ECOWAS citizens abroad.” he said

    He also urged the leaders in a joint effort to step up dialogue with European partners in order to overcome the challenges.

    The President said that the long term solutions to the challenges is to create conditions of peace and security in the ECOWAS countries and ensure sustainable development of the economies.

    “Only through this can we create jobs and other conditions in which our youths will have little or no excuse to embark on the suicidal venture of irregular migration.” he said

    He said that the region since 2001 has been steadily developing the culture of democratic  practice, including good governance and respect for the Rule of Law.

    He said “This trend has just been demonstrated in Liberia. I salute the people of Liberia for the manner in which they conducted themselves during and in the aftermath of the just concluded general elections.

    “It is my fervent hope that the same attitude prevails in the coming run-off election scheduled to hold on 26 December, and a new president is inaugurated in January, 2018 as per the provision of the country’s Constitution.”

    Buhari also appealed to the citizens of Togo to continue to embrace dialogue in efforts to resolve their political differences.

    He therefore urged the government to widen the space for dialogue and mediation.

    On Ginuea Bissau, he said “With regards to our sister nation, Guinea-Bissau, it is worrisome that the continued political deadlock is taking its toll on the people, on good governance and the resources of member States, particularly troops from contributing countries to the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea Bissau.

    “I therefore strongly urge all the stakeholders in Guinea Bissau to respect their undertakings in plans to resolve the political impasse.”

    Reflecting on the recent recession and economic challenges faced by ECOWAS Member States, he said that there is an urgent need to review the spending patterns of all the community institutions, to ensure that dwindling resources are put to good economic use for the optimization of strategic goals of the community.

  • Buhari seeks accountability, good neighbourliness in ECOWAS, AU

    Buhari seeks accountability, good neighbourliness in ECOWAS, AU

    … To recall Nigerian troops from Guinea Bissau

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday emphasized the need for “accountability and good neighbourliness” in both the West Africa sub-region and the continent as a whole.

    The President made the remark when he met with the President of ECOWAS Commission and Chairperson of the African Union Commission at State House, Abuja.

    Receiving the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel A. de Souza, President Buhari said it was gladdening that the organization was demanding accountability from its headquarters staff, which made it to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look into its books.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “Thanks for being firm, and for insisting on transparency and accountability at the ECOWAS headquarters.”

    He promised that Nigeria would continue to fulfill its obligations to the sub-regional body.

    Nigeria hosts the 52nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government Saturday in Abuja.

    President Buhari said he expected a formal report on the situation in Guinea Bissau at the meeting, noting: “We need our troops back home and I hope the President of that country will accept a constitutional way to resolve the situation there.”

    The ECOWAS Commission chief thanked Nigeria for agreeing to host the 52nd Ordinary Session at short notice, adding that the impact of Nigeria was quite strong in the organization.

    “We are under financial pressure due to terrorist attacks in the sub-region, but Nigeria being out of recession will have an impact on the entire region,” de Souza said.

    He noted that Nigeria was the highest contributor of troops to Guinea Bissau, but admitted that “the troops can’t be there endlessly.”

    At the meeting with the President of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, President Buhari said good neighbourliness and relationship were important for security and economic development in the continent.

    “That was why I visited all our neighbours. Such relationship is crucial for security and economic development, so that our youths can get jobs,” the President noted.

    On the situation in Libya, President Buhari reiterated that not every black man was a Nigerian, and it was therefore important to authenticate the origin of the people in distress before they were evacuated.

    “We are trying to bring as many as possible from Libya. But not every black man is a Nigerian. Others claim to be Nigerian, when they are not, and because they have destroyed their travel papers, we can’t claim them, except there is proper documentation,” the President said.

     

     

  • Nigeria demands restructuring and expansion of UN Security Council

    Nigeria demands restructuring and expansion of UN Security Council

    Nigeria has demanded an immediate restructuring and expansion of the UN Security Council to correct the injustices meted out against Africa in the composition of the prestigious 15-member body.

    Nigeria’s position was delivered by Amb. Babatunde Nurudeen, Permanent Representative of Nigeria to ECOWAS at the UN General Assembly Debate on ‘Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council’.

    The Security Council is UN’s most powerful principal organ charged with the maintenance of international peace and security, accepting new members to the UN and approving any changes to the UN Charter.

    Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, the authorisation of military action and it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

    Nurudeen regretted that 72 years after its formation, Africa continued to be marginalised in the representation on the prestigious body in spite of its ability and capacity.

    He stressed that a reformed Council would entail a restructuring and expansion of its membership to take account of, inter-alia, the increased membership of UN and the need to reflect the interests of all the constituent regions.

    The Nigerian envoy said: “Nigeria and other emerging nations continue to demonstrate the capacity to add value to the work, of all the organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council.

    “For that reason, we must now commit ourselves to accelerating the long-overdue reforms of the Security Council. This will no doubt make the Council more equitable, more inclusive and more effective”.

    Russia, UK, France, China, and U.S. serve as the body’s only five permanent members that can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.

    Nurudeen stressed: “Nigeria believes that a reformed Security Council with expanded permanent membership would benefit from the unique experiences and capacities that regional representatives could bring to bear on its work.

    “Nigeria has always expressed its support for the advancement of the intergovernmental negotiations process in an open, inclusive and transparent manner”.

    The Nigerian envoy re-affirmed Nigeria’s very strong adherence to the Common African Union Position on the entire subject of Security Council reform.

    “That is important in order to correct the historical injustice done to the continent and its continued marginalisation over so many years.

    “For that reason, we wish to underscore the overriding need to ensure that the interests of Africa continue to be advanced and safeguarded.

    “African States have offered a coherent, practical and persuasive blueprint for the Council’s reform.

    “We have come up with a common position, which asserts the right of our continent that has for so long been marginalised, and we recognise the legitimate aspirations of other regions to be fully represented in the Council.

    According to him, the clear objective of the reform process is based on the sovereign equality of all Member States and on the need to adhere to the principles of democratisation and inclusiveness in the UN.

    “It is undoubtedly a worthwhile process. Therefore, we must muster the desired will that can lead to the achievement of a reformed Security Council sooner rather than indefinitely,” Nurudeen said.

    NAN

  • ‘Abuja ready to host ECOWAS summit’

    ‘Abuja ready to host ECOWAS summit’

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, is prepared to host the next meeting of Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) Umar Shuaibu, who spoke during last week’s tour of facilities ahead of the meeting on December 16, urged residents to be good host and support the administration in keeping the city neat and secure for guests.

    His words: “Nigeria is hosting ECOWAS conference, so we must receive our visitors well. We have beautiful infrastructures in Abuja and we will not allow anyone destroy it.

    “We have to keep our environment clean and neat, so I expect Abuja residents to receive our visitors well. We will sanitise the city, along with them. We do not want our good residents to dump refuse indiscriminately on the streets and other public places.

    “We don’t want them (heads of ECOWAS states) to come and see our city dirty so they do not take that impression back to their countries.

    “We also want to maintain this cleanliness always, not only at this time we are having important foreign guests.”

    The team inspected cleaning exercise at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway and other major areas within the city.

  • West African Ministers of Sports meet in Abuja

    West African Ministers of Sports meet in Abuja

    The First Session of the West African Ministers of Sports Council Meeting will open in Abuja today.

    Nnake Ikem-Anibeze, Special Assistant on Media to Nigeria’s sports minister, Solomon Dalung, said that the meeting would hold at the Conference Hall of the ECOWAS Parliament.

    President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare the meeting open. But he will be represented as he is away in Paris France, for the Planet One Summit.

    Ikem-Anibeze said that the President or his representative would also launch the Permanent Secretariat Headquarters of the African Union Region 2 (AUSC REG 2) in Abuja.

    She said the Permanent Secretariat Headquarters was granted to Nigeria in December, 2015.

    “The AUSC Region 2 comprises of the 15 West African countries.

  • FG calls for protection of forest resources

    FG calls for protection of forest resources

    The Minister of Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman, has called on stakeholders to collaborate with government in efforts to restore the integrity of the country’s forestry sector and protect wildlife resources.

    The minister made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a workshop on National Forest Investment Programme ( NFIP ) for the implementation of West Africa Forest Convergence Plan.

    Usman, who was represented by Mr Asuquo Enile, Director of General Services, Ministry of Environment, attributed the current state of forests across the country to indiscriminate deforestation, degradation, poaching and trafficking of wild flora.

    He said that these untoward human activities had reduced the ability of the forests to supply products and play their role of protecting water bodies, biodiversity conservation, wildlife habitats and carbon sinks.

    He noted that most of the forest reserves and trees on production landscape were managed without basic management principles.

    The minister said that allocations of timber resources were no longer based on technical considerations but on political patronage.

    Usman said that government, after considering all the loopholes, would provide the enabling environment and funds to encourage meaningful participation of relevant stakeholders in efforts to attain sustainable utilisation of forest resources.

    “The meeting must consider the fact that deforestation and forest degradation negatively affect the ecosystem.

    Read also: Nasarawa youths engaged to check deforestation

    “The meeting must come up with investment opportunities and financial actions to achieve sustainable forest management for income generation and poverty reduction,’’ he said.

    The FAO Representative in Nigeria, Mr Suffyan Koroma, said that for the successful implementation of the NFIP, FAO had provided the necessary support for ECOWAS states in the development of the roadmap.

    He said that the main objective of the workshop was for participants to review and improve the draft NFIP document, prior to its adoption as advocacy and resource mobilisation tools at all levels.

    Koroma, who was represented by Hajiya Sadiya Ibrahim, an official of FAO, said that the workshop would also conduct substantive discussions of the forest investment programme for 2018-2022 and revise the investment requirements.

    He said that the expected results of the workshop included how the prioritisation and estimation of the cost of the priority national actions were analysed and improved.

    He said that the roadmap for the effective implementation of the NFIP would also be established.

    To achieve this, Koroma said that FAO had also strategically engaged key stakeholders in the environment sector to implement interventions that would reduce deforestation and degradation without having adverse consequences on the environment.

    He, therefore, urged participants to review and improve the draft NFIP document so as to put in place a good roadmap for the effective implementation of the plan.

    Dr Johnson Boanuh, the Director of Environment Directorate, ECOWAS, said that the workshop was aimed at reviewing and improving the draft investment plan for validation by the national actors.

    He said that the workshop would also serve as tools for advocacy and resource mobilisation for sustainable forest management at the country level.

    “In the last two years, 14 national forest programmes have been prepared, leading to the successful validation of 11 of the programmes.

    “The 12th in the series is to examine and enrich the draft document by the stakeholders for its use as an advocacy and resource mobilisation tool for sustainable forest management at the country level,’’ he said.

    The participants of the two-day workshop were drawn from ministries of environment across the country as well as other relevant agencies.

    NAN