Tinubu promises to combat insecurity and foster economic integration after being elected Ecowas chairman

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has been unanimously elected as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) at the regional body's 63rd ordinary session which just held in Guinea-Bissau.

At the summit President Tinubu enthusiastically accepted the honour on behalf of Nigeria, with a solemn pledge to run an inclusive administration. He 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 demands urgent and concerted actions.

President Tinubu said: “On peace and security, the threat has reached an alarming level and needs  urgent actions in addressing the challenges. Indeed, without a peaceful environment, progress and development in the region will continue to remain elusive.

"In this regard, we must remain committed to the utilisation of all regional frameworks at our disposal to address the menace of insecurity. Ecowas covers a wide range of areas that involve kinetic and non-kinetic operations, including preventive diplomacy and there is also the Regional Plan of Action on Fight against Terrorism as well as the operationalisation of the Ecowas Standby Force on Fight Against Terrorism.

“I will ensure that we immediately harmonize these plans and mobilise resources as well as the political will to towards the actualisation of the initiatives. As terrorists do not respect boundaries, we must work collectively to have an effective regional counterterrorism measure."

To underscore his commitment towards regional integration, President Tinubu declared that he would prioritize political stability, peace and security, regional economic integration and the strengthening of Ecowas institutions. He declared that democracy and good governance remain the abiding cornerstone of peace and sustainable development.

President Tinubu added:  “We must stand firm on democracy as there is no governance, freedom and rule of law without democracy. We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again. Democracy is very difficult to manage but it is the best form of government.

There is no one here among us who did not campaign to be a leader. We didn’t give our soldiers resources, we didn’t invest in them, in their boots, in their training to violate the freedom of the people. To turn their guns against civil authorities is a violation of the principles upon which they were hired which is to defend the sovereignty of their nations."

Furthermore, President Tinubu called for improved private sector participation in the effort towards the economic development of member states as well as their social integration. He added that they should work  collectively to pursue an inclusive economic integration, which will be significantly private sector driven, in order to unlock the vast economic potentials of the region.

President Tinubu said: "We will actively promote trade, investment and business cooperation among member States by addressing the barriers impeding intra-regional trade, as well as creating a conducive business environment. We must encourage economic partnerships to raise the level of trade and investments in our region, hence facilitating employment creation and sustainable development and prosperity for our citizens."