A Nigerian activist, Mr Bishir Dauda, who is on a 50-day celebration road trip across West Africa to mark ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary, arrived in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ECOWAS, founded on May 28, 1975, to foster subregional economic integration and political unity, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on May 28.
Dauda had earlier announced in an interview with NAN that the journey, which he intended to begin on April 1, was his own unique way of celebrating ECOWAS’ golden jubilee.
The Pan-Africanist said in a statement from the country’s capital that his first port of call was the ECOWAS Resident Representative’s office, where he was received by officials on arrival.
He said that, thereafter, he had a robust interactive discussion with representatives of activists, youth groups and ordinary citizens of the country, bordering on ECOWAS’ 50 years of achievements and challenges.
“Generally, the people commended ECOWAS for recording tangible achievements, especially in the areas of free movement of persons and goods, harmonisation of trade tariffs, boosting tourism, sporting events, humanitarian support, peace-keeping missions, and strengthening democracy and good governance.
“They also appreciate ECOWAS’ efforts in crises management within its member states, especially how it has been coping with the Sahel states, which recently withdrew their membership from the bloc,” he said.
Dauda stated that the Beninese citizens, however, identified some key challenges they perceived as threats to ECOWAS.
These, he said, include unconstitutional change of government, illegal tenure elongation by some West African heads of government and state, electoral fraud and irregularities, breaching ECOWAS treaties and protocols, lack of democracy and weak governance in member-states.
Others are external manipulation, inadequate funding, failure to achieve the ECOWAS Common Currency (ECO), among others.
“The people recommended that ECOWAS should continue to pursue policies and programmes that will strengthen unity and cooperation amongst its member states.
“They demanded that the launching of the ECO should be achieved by 2027 as promised by ECOWAS.
“The citizens also called on ECOWAS to continue pursuing dialogue with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, while urging the Sahel states to re-consider their decision, and return to ECOWAS, in the interest of African unity, cooperation and integration,” Dauda said.
Dauda further said that the citizens also recommended that ECOWAS should continue to uphold and enforce its supplementary protocol on democracy and Good Governance, and all its treaties.
He said that they also called on ECOWAS to develop more programmes and initiatives that targeted youth, women and persons with disabilities.
The activist said the citizens also wanted ECOWAS Standby Force to become fully operational to address the major security threats facing West Africa, such as terrorism, insurgency and several armed conflicts.
He said that a good number of the citizens were in support of ECOWAS’ gigantic projects, such as the Lagos-Abidjan Highway and the West African Power Pool.
“The community citizens have underscored the imperative of maintaining peace, and enjoined stakeholders in West Africa to be ambassadors of peace.
“Many of the citizens have expressed their preference to a democratic system of government in which citizens have the power to choose or remove their leaders,” he said.
Dauda, the Executive Director, Citizens Participation Against Corruption Initiatives, an NGO, says ECOWAS’ monumental achievements under 50 years amid formidable challenges, motivated him to embark on the celebration solidarity journey.(NAN)
