The mandate of President Bola Tinubu to remain Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government was renewed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) yesterday.
This came up at the 65th Ordinary Session, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Prior the renewal at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Organisation, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the one year tenure of President Tinubu as Chairman of the Authority would have elapsed tomorrow.
In his speech after accepting the new mandate, Tinubu appointed the President of Senegal, Bassirou Faye, to join in the mediation to bring back the leaders of Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad who had exited the bloc.
According to Tinubu, President Faye would run the new task alongside Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.
The Nigerian President stated, “Having a new mandate, I will request Faye of Senegal to please become our special envoy alongside Tuggar, to do round-the-clock work with our brothers Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and coordinate with me, if necessary, and with the commission.
“Now that I’ve accepted to continue in the service with great members and great minds that are committed to democratic values in the region, I’ll continue my utmost best to serve our interests and build on the democratic values and the structure that we inherited.”
He also ceased the occasion to call on Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to work towards the establishment and sustenance of a regional standby force for the security and economic advancement of the community.
Speaking further, he said, “The Regional Action Plan against Terrorism has enhanced cooperation on training, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian interventions. In addition to this, the Ministers of Finance and Defence met recently in Abuja to raise funds for activating the ECOWAS Standby Force to boost counter-terrorism efforts.
“Member countries are also displaying their commitment to combating insecurity by individually increasing their defence budgets to acquire necessary equipment and ensure preparedness.
“Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potential. As we 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 Defence and Finance to counter insecurity and stabilise our region,’’ the President added.
While calling for unity within the community, the President emphasized that for the people to be elevated from poverty to prosperity, it is imperative for ECOWAS to “continue to identify and develop partnerships that promote investment in key sectors and promote regional trade. Furthermore, we must invest in our infrastructure and cultivate a suitable business environment to empower our communities to stimulate growth and build resilience against external shocks. Together, we can pave the way for a prosperous future for all of West Africa.’’
Tinubu also called for support in the re-election of Ambassador Bankole Adeoye as AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security in February 2025.
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