Re-elected ECOWAS Chairman, Tinubu demands commitment, funding towards regional standby force
Interestingly, President Bola Tinubu has been re-elected for another one-year tenure as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government.
Tinubu, whose first tenure is to elapse on July 9, 2024, was elected by a unanimous decision of fellow Heads of Government at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority held at the State House, Abuja, on Sunday.
In his acceptance speech, the President said, “I have accepted to continue to deliver on this service with the great men and women on this democratic journey, to serve our interest and build democratic values on the structure we inherited.”
Tinubu was elected Chairman of the Authority at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the regional bloc held last July in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau.
After his re-election, President Bola Tinubu called on ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to work towards the establishment and sustenance of a regional standby force for the security and economic advancement of the community.
The Nigerian leader stated this during the opening of the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on Sunday, in Abuja.
According to a statement by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu highlighted the expediency of a standby force in the face of growing security threats in the region.
He said, “The Regional Action Plan against Terrorism has enhanced cooperation on training, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian interventions. In addition to this, the Ministers of Finance and Defence met recently in Abuja to raise funds for activating the ECOWAS Standby Force to boost counter-terrorism efforts.
“Member countries are also displaying their commitment to combating insecurity by individually increasing their defence budgets in order to acquire necessary equipment and ensure preparedness.”
President Tinubu urged member states to commit more to providing the needed resources for securing the region.
“Let me underscore that a peaceful and secure society is essential for achieving our potential. As we move to operationalize the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasize that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources.