Promote Peace As ECOWAS Chairman, Senate Tells Tinubu

The Senate has called on President Bola Tinubu to promote peace as the new chairman, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Tinubu recently emerged ECOWAS chairman and the Senate, while congratulating him, said he should use his vast experience to promote peace among the ECOWAS States.

Even though the Senate said they have confidence in Tinubu to promote peace and conflict resolution, democracy and good governance, and foster economic cooperation in the sub-region, they added that it is time for ECOWAS countries to be united.

This came up during a motion sponsored by the deputy senate president, Senator Jibrin Barau and 64 other senators, congratulating President Tinubu over the exalted position.

They noted that his emergence as the ECOWAS chairman, is a testimony of his avowed commitment to good governance promised Nigerians.

Senator Barau said that by clinching the position on his first participation at such high level meeting of ECOWAS barely two months after his inauguration as president, the sub-regional body has reposed great confidence in the leadership qualities of Tinubu and reaffirms Nigeria’s leadership role on the African continent generally and the sub-region in particular.

As the ECOWAS chairman, he said, “President Bola Tinubu is in a strategic and vantage position to uphold ECOWAS protocol, which is promotion of peace and conflict resolution within the West African sub-region, promote democracy and good governance, strengthen collective response to security threats within the sub-region, and generally foster economic cooperation among ECOWAS member states.”

Senator Barau added that “as a master strategist, mobilizer and globally respected politician, ECOWAS is blessed to have him (Tinubu) in the position of chairman and his wealth of experience will be brought to bear on the implementation of policies of ECOWAS to bring a lasting peace and economic prosperity within the West African sub-region.”

The deputy senate president noted that since the establishment of ECOWAS in 1975, Nigeria has played key leadership roles, particularly in the promotion of sub-regional security, defence of democracy and human rights, economic integration and collective response to security within the sub-region.

All senators, who contributed to the motion, congratulated Tinubu on the exalted position, describing it as a great honour to Nigeria.

In its resolutions, the Senate agreed to send a delegation comprising its leadership to pay congratulatory visit to President Tinubu over his emergence as the chairman, ECOWAS at the recently concluded 63rd Ordinary Session of the authority of Heads of State and Government of the sub-regional body held in Bissau, capital of Guinea-Bissau.