The Federal Government on Wednesday charged the new leadership of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) to fast track the full integration of the sub-region.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Abba-Ibrahim, gave the charge in Abuja at the handing over ceremony of the Commission’s leadership from former President Marcel De Souza to Jean-Claude Brou.
The Minister said that this would enhance the achievement of the dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the community.
Abba-Ibrahim also advised the new management to ensure the judicious use of scarce resources of the ECOWAS on projects that would transform the lives of citizens of member states.
She noted that ECOWAS had achieved a lot in the last four decades of its existence, stressing however that much still needed to be done.
“In the course of this journey, the organisation has recorded some achievements which have made its membership and programmes to be desirable to all and sundry.
“ ECOWAS, just like any other regional organisation, has also had its fair share of challenges, some of which are still evident.
“Some of these include human trafficking in the Sahel Region especially Libya, the negative activities of cattle herders and poverty, among others,” she said.
She, therefore, charged the new president to mobilise his team to proffer solutions to these problems and other challenges.
“You are also to encourage, and where necessary, to work with national institutions on regional programmes and projects that can fast-track the process of integration and improve the living standard of the people of the region,” she added.
The Minister commended the outgone administration for their successes, particularly in the implementation of institutional reforms and fighting terrorism within their two-year tenure.
She equally expressed confidence in the new president and his team’s ability to drive programmes and projects that would bring development to the region.
“To succeed, the management must ensure prudence in the management of ECOWAS resources, with much focus on budget improvement and institutional reforms.
“We must focus on budget that impacts positively on the citizens as emphasized in the institution report, which stated that 60 percent of the budget must be devoted to such programmes,” she said.
The new President of the commission, Jean-Claude Brou noted that ECOWAS had recorded remarkable progress in the areas of politics, security and others.
Brou commended measures taken to facilitate the implementation of the single currency, institutional reforms and efforts at establishing peace in the region by his predecessor and promised to consolidate on the gains.
“My government will resort to continuity and consultation with all stakeholders and to always adapt and commit to advancement of the community. I shall spare no efforts in achieving this,” he said.
The new appointees include two Nigerian, Halima Ahmed and Stanley Okolo as Commissioners for Finance and Director General, West Africa Health Organisation, respectively.
They are to be in office for the next four years. (NAN)
