Nigeria Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has commended the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) for standing against military coup d’etat in the sub-region.
Professor Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State Government in Accra, Ghana yesterday, January 9, said that there is a strong resolve by ECOWAS Member States to stand against coup d’états in the sub-region.
According to him, there is clear evidence that international community will no longer accept unconstitutional takeover of government with its latest stand against unconstitutional seizure of power.
He added that leaders of member States in the ECOWAS have shown strong resolve and commitment to issues of good governance and democracy in the sub-region.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the Summit, Professor Osinbajo said: “what is being done is unprecedented. In the years gone by, the African Union, then known as OAU and ECOWAS, never came down heavily on Coups de’tats; but there is evidence now that there is a very strong resolve that ECOWAS and, indeed, AU and the international community will not accept unconstitutional takeover of government.”
“It’s very evident that there is very strong resolve, which is why we are here today. We expect that the actions that will be taken will point the junta in Mali in the right direction.
“I think ECOWAS has shown that it has not lost its bite where there are concerns about issues of good governance and democratic enterprises in the sub-region, which is why sanctions against Guinea and Mali were imposed.”
Aside from Vice President Osinbajo and the Ghanaian President – who presided at the Summit, other West African leaders present at the Summit were Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal; George Weah of Liberia; Patrice Talon of Benin Republic; Roch Marc Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso, and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire.
Other Heads of State present include Umaro Embalò of the Republic of Guinea Bissau; Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic; Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, and the Vice President of The Gambia, Isatou Touray.
The session was also attended by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the ECOWAS Mediator for Mali; the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou; among other representatives of international organisations.
