Nigeria’s President and outgoing Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States Authority of Heads of State, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, today said that terrorism, which is growing rapidly in the sub-region, is a major threat to peace and security.
Jonathan, in his welcome address at the 40th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority in Abuja, said despite the numerous successes recorded by the body under his chairmanship, terrorism has been a blight on it.
He said: “Equally important to mention is the rising scourge of terrorism which now threatens the peace and security of our sub-region.
“In the Sahel Region, we have witnessed a proliferation of small arms and light weapons, now even more accentuated in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. As a result, countries in the region are threatened by insurgents and terrorists with dire consequences for the peace, stability and prosperity of the sub-region.
“In the Gulf of Guinea , the increasing incidence of piracy has reached a worrisome dimension. This is compounded with drug trafficking, oil bunkering and human trafficking. All of these require urgent and concerted actions.”
Jonathan said the division among the member states of ECOWAS during the 18th Summit of the African Union where some broke the ranks when it came to the election of a chairman for the AU was also worrisome.
He said that with ECOWAS having the highest number of states among the regional groupings that make up the AU, the strength of sheer number should be put to effective use in the future.
He said: “Your Excellencies, there can be no overstating the imperative need that our efforts for integration and peace would be hard to achieve if our unity and cohesion are not assured. Indeed, our Organisation has been universally acclaimed as a role model in sub-regional integration.
“However, and unfortunately, this quality is now gravely imperilled as clearly demonstrated by what transpired during the election of the African Union Commission Chairperson in Addis Ababa at the 18th Session of the Assembly where some ECOWAS member states broke rank with the consensus position of the sub-region.
“We need to continue to demonstrate our cohesiveness and speak with one voice as a region. Of the five regions of Africa, West Africa has the highest number of member states. This is an important leverage in our hands. We need to demonstrate it and exploit it to advance the interest of our sub-region. We should not allow such leverage to slip through our hands through advancing individual consideration.”
Jonathan said the ongoing meeting in Abuja was important to the organisation because the body will endorse the appointment of new commissioners and a vice-president of the commission and also elect a new President of the Commission and Chairperson of the Authority.
Jonathan, who thanked his fellow heads of government for the opportunity given to him to serve as the head of the organisation beginning from when he was the vice-president and the late President Musa Yar’Adua fell ill, to when he was even running to become president and till now, said: “Under my Chairmanship, our Organisation faced numerous political and economic challenges, most of which we resolved successfully; thanks to our collective commitment and dedication to the cause of peace. This was helped by the cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between our Organisation and international organisations, including the African Union, United Nations, and the European Union.
“This international cooperation was best exemplified during the crisis in Cote d’Ivoire, where we found a common voice in the firm and unequivocal application of our Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. This greatly facilitated the resolution of the crisis. At this Summit, we are pleased to welcome in our midst our brother and dear colleague, President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire. His presence strengthens our Organisation and we wish him every success in the governance of his country.
“Your Excellencies, our efforts to consolidate democracy in our sub-region paid off substantially in Liberia , Niger and Guinea Conakry during my chairmanship. In Liberia , an ECOWAS Mini-Summit held in September last year successfully addressed the influx of ex-combatants from Cote d’Ivoire into the country. The resolution of this problem helped in providing a conducive environment for the successful elections held in Liberia in October and November 2011.
“In Niger, the attempts by the then incumbent President to alter the Constitution to elongate his tenure in office were averted. Subsequently, elections were held which paved the way for Niger to return to the ranks of democratic nations.
“In Guinea Conakry , where there had been a series of military interventions, ECOWAS has successfully guided the country to hold elections and a return to democracy.
“On Guinea Bissau , let me condole the government and people for the untimely death of President Bacai Sanhya. Let me also recognize and welcome in our midst the Interim President, H.E. Raimundo Pereira. ECOWAS have charted a path to stabilise the polity through a carefully developed Defence and Security Sector Reform Programme (DSSRP). Our Organisation has invested considerable resources into the Programme and we are confident of success.
“I urge all stakeholders in Guinea Bissau to join hands to ensure the full implementation of the Programme. The Programme was drawn up and approved with the active participation of Guinea Bissau and other regional stakeholders. As an ECOWAS programme, the ECOWAS Commission is responsible for its coordination and full implementation with full participation of other stakeholders.”
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