Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi Govs felicitate With Tinubu Over Emergence As ECOWAS Chair

By Ibrahim Mada

Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi and Yobe states, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, Bala Mohammed and Maimala Buni respectively, have expressed deep felicitations with president Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his emergence as the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Tinubu emerged as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the regional bloc held on Sunday afternoon in Bissau, capital of Guinea-Bissau.

“We will take democracy seriously, Democracy is very tough but it is the form of government,” the Nigerian leader said after he received handover documents from the outgoing chairman who is Guinea-Bissau’s President, Umaro Embaló.

The ECOWAS Chairmanship is a position held by one of the heads of state or government of the member countries, chosen on a rotating basis for a one-year tenure.

In their separate felicitations, the governors expressed confidence in the abilities and competencies of the new chairman to usher the regional block to prosperity.

They noted that Tinubu’s vast experience will come handy in addressing regional security including terrorism, separatist movements, and cross-border conflicts.

The governors were also upbeat that with Tinubu as the chairman of the regional block, collaborations and enhanced integration amongst member states will receive a boost.

They also urged the new ECOWAS chairman to continue to support peacekeeping initiatives, and strengthens regional security mechanisms.

The governors noted that with the current wave of political instability rocking the region, Tinubu should focus attention towards ensuring that coups, disputed elections, and governance crises have become things of the past.

They also appealed on the new chairman to foster democratic practices, mediate conflicts, and promote good governance within member states just as they appealed to him to promote economic integration and development in the region, and resolve barriers to trade, such as tariffs and non-tariff barriers, and work towards the implementation of regional economic protocols and agreements and promote investment, infrastructure development, and job creation.

“Enhancing cooperation amongst member states is crucial to achieving the objectives of ECOWAS. The chairman would need to facilitate dialogue, coordinate joint initiatives, and encourage collaboration in areas such as agriculture, energy, transportation, and health,” the governors noted.