Leaders, mainly women, from the Republic of Niger, have visited the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, pleading that he should use his good offices to intervene on the sanctions imposed on Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS).
It would be recalled that on July 26, 2023, the Presidential Guards in Niger Republic launched a coup and detained the civilian President, Mouhammadou Bazoum and his family, leading to the ECOWAS placing sanctions on the country.
The delegation, during the visit to the Nigerian House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen today, December 12, said that the citizens of the country are in a difficult situation because of the ECOWAS sanctions.
The leader of the delegation and former Minister of Labour and Productivity of Niger Republic, Madam Ibrahim Maryama Alhassan, said that members of the delegation, comprising mostly women, are working relentlessly by visiting key leaders in ECOWAS member states to plead for the lifting of the sanctions on Niger.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, promised to interface with President Bola Tinubu on the matter, saying however that the sanctions were not meant to put the citizens of that country into hardship.
According to him, coups by nature hinder development and that Nigeria and Niger Republic have witnessed several coups in the past, which affected both countries negatively.
The Speaker said that the surge of coups in several African countries, including Niger Republic, necessitated the imposition of sanctions on Niger Republic by the leaders of ECOWAS.
He said that if no sanctions were imposed on military juntas that got to power through coups, the trend would pose serious threats to the future of Africa.
He said that the Nigerian parliament would play a key role in ensuring that the disputes between Niger and ECOWAS are resolved amicably, adding that Nigeria and Niger Republic have much in common culturally and religiously.
The Speaker said that nevertheless, he would meet with President Tinubu “and inform him about the developments you raised.”
