President Bola Tinubu has emerged as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Tinubu succeeds President Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau as ECOWAS chairman.
Tinubu’s emergence was announced at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS.
The 63rd Ordinary Session summit was the first engagement of President Tinubu within the African continent since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
Tinubu, who is the latest entrant into the exclusive club of Heads of State in West Africa, pledged to bear the responsibility of the office and run an inclusive administration of the regional organisation.
The Nigerian leader, however, warned that the threat to peace in the sub-region had reached an alarming proportion with terrorism and an emerging pattern of military takeover that now demand urgent and concerted actions.
He said insecurity and creeping terrorism were stunting the progress and development of the region.
Tinubu called for a collective action from member-states, pledging that under his leadership, frameworks would be harmonized to actualise the dreams of ECOWAS.
The President noted that ECOWAS had developed a security architecture, which covers a wide range of areas that involved kinetic and non-kinetic operations, including preventive diplomacy adding that there is also the Regional Plan of Action on Fight against Terrorism 2020-2024 as well as the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Standby Force on Fight Against Terrorism.
While decrying the emerging pattern of coup d’etat in West Africa, where soldiers have truncated the popular mandate, Tinubu charged ECOWAS to stand firm in defence of democracy.
-CHANNELS TV
