ECOWAS: Senegal’s Faye to Lead Negotiations With Mali, Niger, Chad as Tinubu is Re-elected Chairman
President Bola Tinubu has been re-elected as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the ongoing 65th ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of States and Government.
The session is holding at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Nigerian president will now serve another one year as the Chairman of the regional organisation.
Discharging his responsibilities as the Chairman of the regional body, Tinubu announced the appointment of the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye to join in the mediation with Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad who had earlier cut ties with ECOWAS citing inefficiency lack of adherence to the founding ideals of the body.
President Tinubu’s tenure would have elapsed on July 9, 2024.
The president in his acceptance address called on all member countries to show more commitment to the regional body by ensuring that their financial obligations to ECOWAS were remitted in order to rejig the activities already mapped out to stimulate growth and cooperation among member states.
According to Tinubu, healthy financial status will ensure the operationalisation the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) to combat terrorism, banditry and violent extremism and crimes within the sub-region.
Addressing the session, President Tinubu said, “Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potentials, move to operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasise that the success of this plan requires, not only strong political will, but also substantial financial resources.
“We must therefore ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set forth by our ministers of Defense and Finance in order to counter the insecurity and stabilise our region. Member states must make extra commitment on providing resources for stabilizing the region.
“To this end, I urge ECOWAS to leverage on the capability of the Nigeria National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), which is widely acknowledge as one of the best on the continent
“Your excellencies, dear heads of state, I urge those of you with time to visit the centre before your departure and assess first-hand on the facilities and the capabilities of NCTC.”