The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ECOWAS

  • ECOWAS to improve electricity to states

    ECOWAS to improve electricity to states

    Due to the strategic importance of energy in achieving sustainable development and poverty reduction in the ECOWAS and Sahel region, the World Bank and ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREE), have designed a regional renewable energy project, the Regional Off-Grid Electrification Project (ROGEP), aimed at increasing access to sustainable electricity supply, most especially in the rural areas of member states.

    This was made known at a  One- Day Workshop organized by ECOWAS and the World Bank, supported by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in Abuja, with the theme: “Promoting Private Investment Standalone Solar Systems in West Africa and the Sahel”.  Ag. Director, Press, Mrs. Etore Thomas disclosed this in a statement Thursday.

    The Permanent Secretary, Power, Louis Edozien, who represented the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, at the event disclosed that stakeholders in the Power Sector should move from policy formulation and focus more on policy implementation in the electricity value chain, emphasizing, that this would improve the living standards of rural dwellers in the ECOWAS sub region.

    He said we want to move from ‘’talking to acting, and to achieve that, we need to tackle manpower issues, funding gaps and materials’’.

    The Minister said the Regional off -Grid Electrification Projects (ROGEP) was designed by ECOWAS and World Bank to increase access to sustainable electricity services in the ECOWAS region for household, commercial enterprises and public facilities.

    The main objectives of the workshop was to create awareness and improve information on ROGEP and the national stakeholders, to share experience where we are on electricity, especially solar power system, identify challenges and proffer solutions in the electricity industry in the ECOWAS Region, among others.

  • Liberian crisis will be resolved constitutionally – Buhari

    Liberian crisis will be resolved constitutionally – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari says the current political challenges in Liberia will be resolved through constitutional means.

    He also urged all parties in the crisis to exercise patience while waiting for the verdict of the Supreme Court.

    Buhari gave the assurance when he received the President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, who is the current Chairman of ECOWAS, at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday.

    He expressed hope that the outcome of the country’s Supreme Court verdict would be acceptable to all in order to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

    On the political situation in Guinea Bissau, the President told the ECOWAS Chairman that the leading political actors in the country should agree to a resolution and a transition that would pave way for elections in the country in 2018.

    In his remarks, the ECOWAS Chairman said he had met with Buhari on a number of challenges facing the West African region and seek his counsel on the best way to resolve the issues.

    Gnassingbe said they reviewed the political situations in Liberia, Guinea Bissau and Togo, and also talked about the ongoing reform in ECOWAS.

    He said they were both satisfied with the progress made so far in implementing the reform in the regional body.

    The Togolese president expressed support for the rules and regulations endorsed by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers as guide for the selection of leaders of the ECOWAS Commission.

    The ECOWAS Chairman said the institution’s Heads of State meeting will be held in Abuja in December.

  • ECOWAS single currency impossible without Nigeria, says UNECA boss

    ECOWAS single currency impossible without Nigeria, says UNECA boss

    The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has said that the economic performance of Nigeria remains crucial in realising the dream of a single currency in the West African region.

    Mr. Dimitri Sanga, Director of the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (SRO/WA-ECA) made this disclosure on the sidelines of the meeting to establish a network of economic journalists for West Africa, in Dakar, Senegal.

    Sanga noted that Nigeria constitutes about 75% of the GDP of the West African sub region, with a population of 180 million, and would play a significant role in facilitating the process of achieving a single currency for the sub-region.

    According to him, “people are saying why don’t we move directly to the currency of the most powerful country in the zone.  Because as you know the currency is determined by the forces between the exports and imports that you have.”

    He then noted that “when you look at the economy of Nigeria, Nigeria represents more than 75 per cent of the GDP of West Africa. That means that whatever the situation, if we come up with the common currency, the macroeconomic stability of Nigeria is key to the common currency goal of the ECOWAS.”

    He said that the ECA as the “Think Tank” of Africa has been tasked to find out what it would take to accelerate the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) single currency dream. He said the report will be released soon.

    “Our study will advise Head of States of ECOWAS on how to go about this. Our study is saying these bottlenecks can be addressed depending on the political willingness of the Heads of States.

    “Some of the bottlenecks right now have to do with the fact that the CFA zones, are very comfortable with the single currency trading among themselves, pegged to the Euro making it easy to trade with Europe.”

    Sanga said that right now the region had agreed that some basic macroeconomic criteria would have to be met before the countries make the big leaps towards collapsing their economies.

    “In our studies, we went as far as looking at what Europe went through and how they came out with the Euro together. Actually they did not start by respecting all convergence criteria before coming up with the common currency.”

    The UNECA Director also advised African countries to learn from Nigeria and rebase their GDPs so they could have a clearer picture of the sectors contributing to the growth of their economies.

    The Eco (the proposed common currency) he said, is planned to be introduced in the framework of the ECOWAS. For the Eco to be implemented, 10 convergence criteria set out by the West African Monetary Institute must be met. The four primary criteria to be achieved by each member country are a single-digit inflation rate at the end of each year, a fiscal deficit of no more than 4 per cent of the GDP.

    “The goal is to merge the new currency with the West African CFA franc, used by the French-speaking members of ECOWAS since 1945 at a later date. This will create a common currency for much of West Africa,” Sanga stressed.

     

  • Nigeria truly on path to free, fair elections in 2019, says Presidency

    Nigeria truly on path to free, fair elections in 2019, says Presidency

    *2019 elections will be free, fair, says Presidency

    The Presidency on Monday noted that the United Nation’s prediction that 2019 elections in Nigeria will be credible and violent free is another indication of the world’s confidence in Nigeria’s current administration.

    Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, a day after a United Nations representative made the prediction in a Channels TV interview, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, expressed pleasure at the world body’s accurate observation of the trends in President Buhari’s government, which could only lead down the path of free and fair elections come 2019.

    He said “The Buhari government doesn’t believe in cheap propaganda. It’s not about responding to the attacks, false allegations and insinuations of the PDP or of the still very active media machinery of the previous government.

    “We believe in taking active steps to ensure that the future of Nigeria is better than it is today and we are glad to see that the United Nations has acknowledged this.” he added

    During the Channels TV interview, Head of UN Office for West Africa, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambers, had pointed out the credible and peaceful local elections that have so far taken place in different states across Nigeria, and used this as one of the indices to judge what to expect for the presidential elections in 2019.

    “Under the government of President Buhari, a number of credible elections have been conducted in states and local governments across Nigeria and, so far, there has been no cause for fear or worry,” the SSA Media said.

    He added that the 2015 elections which saw the historic election of President Buhari – the first time in Nigeria and one of the rare occasions in Africa when an incumbent was soundly defeated in an election – were credible simply because of the presence and diligence of Professor Attahiru Jega.

    “At one of its meetings, the Council of States last year put on record the appreciation of the nation for the conduct of the 2015 elections and commended the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega as Chairman of the Commission for bringing that about.

    “In addition to the steadfastness of the INEC, the ECOWAS, AU, EU, UN and other international bodies also had to be on guard to ensure that there was no opportunity for the kind of foolishness we saw at the INEC collation center from people in the circle of power to flourish,” Malam Garba said.

    “But, in 2019, the international community will have nothing to fear, and I am happy that the UN can already sense that several months in advance.”  he said

  • ECOWAS, AU score Liberia elections high

    ECOWAS, AU score Liberia elections high

    The ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to Liberia on Wednesday said the country’s general elections held on Tuesday were on the path to being credible.

    It said this in its preliminary report presented by its leader and former President of Ghana, Mr John Mahama, at a joint press conference with the African Union ( AU ) delegation in Monrovia.

    Mahama said although there were isolated cases of violence and late commencement of voting in some parts of the country, the exercise was generally transparent up to the point of vote counting.

    “Let me emphasise here. The mission believes thus far, up to this point, that with the environment in the lead up to the election, the voting day activities, sorting and counting of the ballots, Liberia is largely on track to achieve a credible poll.

    “This is the meat of my report, and I don’t want to be misreported; thus far, thus far. I am utilising my Kenyan experience; thus far.’’

    The experience cited by Mahama bordered on the public criticism he received for rating the last presidential elections in Kenya as credible.

    He was one of the observers in that election, which was later nullified by the country’s Supreme Court due to irregularities.

    Mahama commended the National Elections Commission ( NEC ) for the “professionalism displayed by its leadership and officials in the field, urging it to expedite action on quick release of the results to dowse public anxiety”.

    “The mission urges the electoral commission to approach the concluding phases of the process with fairness and transparency until the final proclamation of results.

    “It calls on the party leaders and candidates, their followers and the media to maintain the same posture of restraint, serenity and patriotism until the collation has been completed and the announcement of the results made.

    “The ECOWAS observation mission urges NEC to expedite action on the proclamation of the results in order to prevent anxiety within the population.’’

    The ECOWAS mission team leader also lauded the candidates, their parties and supporters for their “maturity during the campaigning and the voting process”.

    He called on all the candidates to put Liberia first by maintaining the prevailing peace in the land, while also urging the candidates to accept the will of the people.

    Mahama emphasised the need for candidates to seek redress only through legal means in the event of genuine grievances.

    Mr Erastus Mwencha, who led the AU team, said there was a “lot of convergence’’ in both reports.

    In his remarks, Mwencha noted that democracy was taking deeper root in Africa judging by the Liberian experience.

    “We found there was a lot of convergence, and so don’t expect me to say anything outside what the president has said.

    “In fact, I was telling him that I was simply coming to say `ditto’, that is all that I needed to say.

    “Having witnessed the election of 2005, the election of 2011, and now that of 2017, we have seen democracy being entrenched and Liberians taking this process as their own.

    “The first election was done with a lot on international support, but this election was largely an exercise conducted by the people of Liberia.’’

    The Liberian electoral body is expected to release provisional results of the elections on Thursday.

    NAN

  • Reps mull Nigeria leaving ECOWAS over Morocco’s application

    THE House of Representatives has mandated two of its committee to examine the possibility of Nigeria exiting the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against the background of the “clamour to admit Morocco into the community”.

    Its committees on Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration have been directed to consider the review of Nigeria’s membership of the body, especially Article 91 of the Revised Treaty.

    It entitles a member-state to withdraw from the community upon giving the Executive Secretary one year’s notice in writing.

    The resolution of the House was sequel to the passage of a motion by Bosun George Oladele and five other lawmakers with the title: “Call for the review of Nigeria’s continued membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in view of the clamour to admit Morocco unto the community”.

    Oladele, while moving the motion, said the ECOWAS was established to, among other things, foster relations and enhance economic stability among member states in the West African region.

    He, however, noted that “the Arab Kingdom of Morocco, which is in North Africa and is a member of the Arab Maghreb Union, in June 2017, applied to join the ECOWAS.

    “The Arab Maghreb Union was established to foster relations among Arab nations just as the ECOWAS is for nations in West Africa,” he noted.

    The lawmaker said the ECOWAS Commission is expected to make recommendations on the application, “which will be considered at the 52nd Ordinary Session of the meeting of the Organisation in December 2017 in Lome, Togo”.

  • Reps mull Nigeria’s exit from ECOWAS over Morocco’s application

    Reps mull Nigeria’s exit from ECOWAS over Morocco’s application

    The House of Representatives on Thursday mandated two of its committees to examine the possibility of Nigeria leaving the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) following Morroco’s bid to join the sub-regional body.

    The House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration are expected to consider the review of Nigeria’s membership of the body, especially Article 91 of the Revised Treaty which entitles a member state to withdraw from the body upon giving the Executive Secretary one years’ notice in writing.

    The resolution of the House followed the passage of a motion by Hon. Bosun George Oladele and five other lawmakers with the title: ” Call for the review of Nigeria’s continued membership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS ) in view of the clamour to admit Morocco unto the Community.”

    Oladele, while moving the motion, said the ECOWAS was established to amongst other things, foster relations and enhance economic stability among member states in the West African region.

    He, however, noted that “the Arab Kingdom of Morocco, which is in North Africa and is a member of the Arab Maghreb Union, in June 2017, applied to join the ECOWAS.

    “The Arab Maghreb Union was established to foster relations among Arab nations just as the ECOWAS is for nations in West Africa,” he noted.

    The lawmaker said the ECOWAS Commission is expected to make recommendations on the application, which would be considered at the 52nd Ordinary Session of the meeting of the Organization in December in Lome, Togo.

    He expressed concern that an ECOWAS institution such as the ECOWAS Parliament has begun to fraternize with Morocco despite the fact that it does not share common boundaries with any ECOWAS member state.

     

     

  • Cameroon: Dabiri-Erewa condemns deportation of Nigerians

    Cameroon: Dabiri-Erewa condemns deportation of Nigerians

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on  Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, says alleged forced deportation of over 100,000 Nigerians by Cameroonian military is worrisome.

    In a statement by her Media Assistant, Abdul-Rahman Balogun, she decried the “inhuman treatment’’ meted to Nigerian asylum seekers, who were affected by Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.

    Dabiri-Erewa noted that in spite of the friendly disposition between both countries, Cameroon allegedly forced Nigerians to leave.

    She said that Cameroon should heed the UN’s call on all countries to protect refugees fleeing the carnage in the North-East of Nigeria and not to return them there.

    “This unfriendly attitude of the Cameroonian soldiers to Nigerian asylum seekers is really worrisome,’’ Dabiri-Erewa stressed.

    She appealed to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other West African regional groups to prevail on Cameroon to be “their brothers’ keeper in a situation like this’.’

    She said that deportations, according to Human Rights Watch, defied UN refugee agency’s plea not to return anyone to North-East of Nigeria until the security and human rights situation had improved considerably.

    The presidential aide said that a 55-page Human Rights report entitled “They Forced Us onto Trucks like Animals: Cameroon’s Mass Forced Return and Abuse of Nigerian Refugees,” condemned the act.

    The report, according to her, states that since early 2015, Cameroonian soldiers had tortured, assaulted, and sexually exploited Nigerian asylum seekers in remote border areas.

    She said that the report added that the soldiers also denied the Nigerians access to the UN refugee agency, and summarily deported, often violently, tens of thousands to Nigeria.

    “It also documents violence, poor conditions and unlawful movement restrictions in Cameroon’s only official camp for Nigerian refugees as well as conditions recent returnees face in Nigeria,’’ she said.

    Dabiri-Erewa said that Cameroon’s forced returns breached UN principles, which prohibited the forceful return of refugees and asylum seekers to persecution and, under regional standards in Africa, to situations of generalised violence such as in Nigeria’s North-East.

  • ECOWAS seeks solution to poverty and disease

    ECOWAS seeks solution to poverty and disease

    The Vice President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Edward Singhatey,  said it was unacceptable that extreme poverty, disease, criminality, terrorism and other social vices keep defining the structure of the sub- region on Tuesday.

    Singhatey spoke in Lagos during the Commission’s meeting with non-state actors and civil society organisations (CSOs), including West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF), West African Network for Peace Building, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Think Tanks, traders associations, media and women groups.

    However, he said the Commission was committed and prepared to implement strategies outlined in the Community Strategic Framework (CSF) 2016-2020 with the goal of reducing poverty, strengthening the sub-region’s political systems and electioneering process and deepening economic integration, establishing a monetary union, mobilising and building national capacities in key areas and developing infrastructure.

    The ECOWAS chief, who urged the invited bodies to join hands with the sub-regional body in tackling challenges confronting West Africa, emphasised that the CSF, if well-implemented, would make the ECOWAs Vision 2020 to become a reality than a dream.

    According to Singhatey, the strategies outlined in the document form the basis for the Commission’s work.

    He said: “All ECOWAs institutions are carving out of that document in their strategic action programmes. This was the intention at the onset. The object being to correct the misalignment of objectives experienced in the past as well as make for an orderly implementation of ECOWAs programmes.

    “The CSF and its tools have become the basis for the budgeting process of all ECOWAs institutions/agencies. I would, therefore, wish to mention that the budget of ECOWAs institutions follow a result-based approach, where the expected results from the programmes and activities are clearly delineated. Resources are then allocated on the basis of these anticipated results.

    “With this approach, the desired impact of our intervention would be clearly felt. Our commitment to making our work citizen or people-based would have been realised.

    “Gone are the days when ECOWAs institutions were concentrating on allocating resources rather than results.”

    Besides the CSF, Singhatey said though the event might be his last with the organisations as vice president, he and his team were determined to leave a very strong institution.

    The reform being initiated in ECOWAs, he said, has reached an advanced stage, “very far-reaching, permeating every facet of our institution’s operations.”

    “This administration is concentrating on two major aspects, the organisaional structure and the business process. The conclusion of these reforms will usher in a completely transformed institution. We are determined to leaving behind a strong, lean, efficient and effective institution,” he added.

    He cautioned that the way things are being done in the continent must conform to the best practice and driven by technology.

    “We must, therefore, discuss what we must together, in a creative way, to ensure that the message of the CSF is well communicated and how we can generate the resources to implement the lofty ideas in the framework,” Singhatey concluded.

    The Commission’s Director of Strategic Planning Directorate Essien Abel Essien, told the invited bodies that the meeting was convened to expose them to the framework and solicit further ideas on its implementation and communication to the people of the sub region.

    He urged the bodies to spend most of their energy and time discussing what could be done to sustain and even generate more momentum in the integration process.

    WACSOF President, Hon. Khady Fall Tall, hailed the Commission for supporting the organisation since its establishment in 2003.

    Acknowledging the Commission’s activities in the Northeast and The Gambia, she added that the Commission’s vice president has been of great assistance to the organisation in the area of bringing the activities of ECOWAS to people.

    Tall called for more synergy and assistance to member organisations experiencing challenges.

    The Executive Director of Centre for Regional Integration in Africa (CRIA), Prof. SKB Asante, urged ECOWAs member states to revisit the idea of creating Ministry of Regional Integration to deepen integration among member states.

    A senior research fellow with Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Dr. Efem Ubi, advised the gathering to find critical solutions to challenges facing ECOWAs.

     

  • Morocco: ECOWAS Heads of State to determine fate in December

    Morocco: ECOWAS Heads of State to determine fate in December

    The fate of Morocco’s application to formally join the ECOWAS sub-regional group as a full member would be determined in December by the ECOWAS Heads of State.

    Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama said in an interview that there were currently arguments against and for the admission of the North African country into the West African sub-regional bloc.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation had in February announced the plan by the country to join the 15-member sub-regional bloc.

    “The kingdom of Morocco has informed President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the current chair of ECOWAS of “its interest to join the regional group as a full member” a statement from the ministry said.

    However, Onyeama told NAN in New York that “A definitive decision would be taken at the end of the year.

    “Clearly, there are some countries that feel that Morocco shouldn’t join and one or two others that feel that Morocco may join and different arguments are advanced.

    “So ultimately the ECOWAS Head of States will take a decision on that.

    “I think in principle, there’s nothing against Morocco joining ECOWAS but it’s just whether it would add, whether it would be a win for the ECOWAS region or not.

    “So the Heads of State will take a final decision later in the year at the next summit meeting of ECOWAS Heads of State in December,” Onyeama said.

    The country had said its plan to join ECOWAS as a full member was in line with provisions of ECOWAS founding treaty and in full satisfaction of its membership criteria.

    According to Morocco, the decision was informed by the need “to crown the strong political, human, historical, religious and economic ties at all levels with ECOWAS member countries”.

    Morocco maintains institutional relations with ECOWAS through an observer status, which has been in place for several years.

    However, there have been pressures by various groups, particularly, the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, asking Nigeria and ECOWAS to resist any attempt by Morocco to join the sub-regional body.

    They argued that Morocco is coming to whittle down the power of Nigeria, not only at ECOWAS and African Union but also at the United Nations.