TheNewsGuru

Tag: ECOWAS

  • ECOWAS indicts security agencies for 'creating problems' in Osun poll

    ECOWAS indicts security agencies for 'creating problems' in Osun poll

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said the international community and voters in Nigeria believe that security agents might have been used in creating problems for the electoral process.

    The Head of Political Affairs, ECOWAS, Dr Remi Ajibewa, said this when he and other ECOWAS officials visited the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, according to a statement on Sunday.

    Ajibewa said while INEC conducted the Osun governorship election professionally, the same could not be said of the security agencies.

    The statement, which was signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, read in part, “He (Ajibewa) commended the commission for the conduct of the Osun State governorship election but regretted that while INEC did its best, the international community and voters feared that security agents might have been used to create problems for the electoral process.”

    The ECOWAS official reiterated the need for INEC to carry all stakeholders, comprising political parties, the media, civil society organisations and security agencies, along as it prepares for the general elections. He said INEC should also work closely with the police to secure the electoral process.

    Gen. Francis Behanzin, who headed the ECOWAS delegation to INEC, said ECOWAS would deploy 200 observers in Nigeria to monitor the 2019 general elections which will begin in February next year.

    Behanzin said the purpose of the visit was to, among other things, find out about INEC’s preparation for the 2019 general elections and the challenges it was facing, in view of Nigeria’s large voter population of over 80 million.

    He described Nigeria as “a very big country”, pledging financial support for the conduct of the elections.

    Behanzin expressed gratitude to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for his contributions towards the improvement of the electoral process and sustenance of democracy across the West-African sub-region.

    In his remarks, Yakubu thanked Behanzin for his kind words and seized the opportunity to explain the commission’s preparations for the 2019 polls.

  • Buhari hands over ECOWAS border posts

    Buhari hands over ECOWAS border posts

    President Muhammadu Buhari and his Republic of Benin counterpart, Patrice Talon will on Tuesday perform the official hand-over of the new Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Border Posts at Seme-Krake and Neope-Akanu in Badagry.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the Lagos State Government in a statement on Sunday said all necessary arrangements to ensure hitch-free unveiling ceremony had been firmed up, while President Buhari would be accompanied to the venue by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
    According to the statement, the President would be received at the Airport by the Governor, while the duo would thereafter proceed to the venue.
    “Already, all necessary security and logistic arrangements have been firmed up by the State Government in partnership with relevant federal government agencies.
    “To this effect, the Lagos State Government is soliciting the usual support and cooperation of residents throughout the visit,” the statement read.
     

  • 2019: ECOWAS charges INEC on credible polls

    2019: ECOWAS charges INEC on credible polls

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, a delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) to conduct credible, free and fair elections in Nigeria.
    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports General Francis Behanzin made the charge when he led an ECOWAS delegation on a courtesy visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) headquarters in Abuja.
    Gen. Behanzin said the purpose of the visit was to, among other things, find out about INEC’s preparation for the 2019 general elections and the challenges it was facing, in view of Nigeria’s large voter population of over 80 million.
    He described Nigeria as “a very big country”, pledging financial support for the conduct of the elections, while also expressing gratitude to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu for his contributions to the improvement of the electoral process and sustenance of democracy across the West African sub-region.
    He revealed that ECOWAS would be sending 200 observers to monitor the 2019 general elections set to hold in Nigeria.
    Head of Political Affairs, ECOWAS, Dr. Remi Ajibewa reiterated the need for INEC to carry all stakeholders comprising political parties, the media, civil society organisations and security agencies along as it prepares for the general elections.
    He said INEC should also synergise with the Police to secure the electoral process, and commended the Commission for the conduct of the Osun State Governorship election.
    However, he regretted that while INEC did its best, the International Community and Voters feared that security agents might be used to create problems for the electoral process.
    In his response, Prof. Yakubu thanked Gen. Behanzin for his kind words and seized the opportunity to explain the Commission’s preparations for the 2019 polls.
    He said the Commission had developed, validated and was already implementing its 2017 – 2021 Strategic Plan, the Election Project Plan and had also released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 General Elections since January 9th, this year.
    He said the Commission also carried out the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise that allowed citizens who just turned 18 years and other Nigerians who had never registered the opportunity to do so.
    He informed the delegation that over 14.5 million voters were registered during the exercise between April 2017 and August 2018, and that the new figure will be added to the almost 70 million citizens already in the national Voter Register after due processes.
    He said the country might have about 83 million voters after the register had been cleaned up.
    Prof. Yakubu observed that conducting general election in Nigeria could be likened to conducting an election for the whole of ECOWAS.
    He informed the delegation that Nigeria currently has 91 registered political parties out of which 89 will field candidates for various positions in the next year general elections.
    He said the Commission works with security agencies under the aegis of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to secure the electoral environment.
    Since the general elections will take place simultaneously in all states, he said the security meeting would be cascaded to the states.
     

  • Nigeria pledges commitment to eradicating discrimination against women

    Nigeria pledges commitment to eradicating discrimination against women

    Nigeria has assured the international community of its unalloyed commitment to the advancement of women’s rights and the eradication of violence and all forms of discriminations against women.
    The Permanent Representative of Nigeria to ECOWAS, Amb. Babatunde Nurudeen, stated this while making Nigeria’s presentation on ‘Advancement of Women’ to the UN General Assembly in New York.
    Nurudeen said: “The advancement of women remains a critical issue for continuous engagement and calls for action-related measures for the achievement of national and international policies capable of promoting and enhancing their fundamental rights.
    “Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is unequivocally committed to the advancement of women rights, gender equality, empowerment of women through eradication of poverty, prohibition of trafficking in women and girls, elimination of violence and discrimination against women”‘.
    He also said Nigeria had developed a National Gender Policy aimed at eliminating gender discrimination, and promoting political, economic and social opportunities in the public and private sector for women.
    The Nigerian envoy said in furtherance of the objectives of the UN Security Council Resolution 1235, Nigeria has launched its Second National Action Plan of the Council’s resolution.
    He said: “To reinforce government’s commitment to the eradication of all forms of violence against women, Nigeria has adopted a programme on Stop-Violence Against Women in Election (VAWIE).
    “The adoption is with the objective of mitigating violence against women and demonstrating the link between gender-based electoral violence vis-à-vis the reduced participation of women in the political landscape.
    “To facilitate its full implementation, a special contingent of VAWIE monitors are deployed to man designated situation room at various election centres for the purposes of collating and reporting cases of electoral violence against women during any election in the country”.
    In the area of women empowerment, Nurudeen said the Nigerian Government had introduced an empowerment programme to disburse $1.66 million micro-credit lending to businesses at the bottom of the financial pyramid.
    This has created an array of women entrepreneurs in the country, especially given the soft conditions of zero collateral, zero interest and only five per cent administrative fee attached to the loans, he said.
    In combating gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies, he said the government recently unveiled a ‘Road Map on Call to Action on Protection from Gender Based Violence in Emergencies’.
    The Road Map, he said, provided a model and standard operating procedures aimed at ensuring that women and girls are protected from violation in conflict situation.
    He said the Plan had been further externalised with its subsequent launch, during the Oslo II/Berlin Conference on the Lake Chad, held in Berlin in September.
    The Nigerian envoy said the launch had given further impetus for the international recognition of the Roadmap as a model for preventing gender based violence during humanitarian and emergency situation.
    According to him, Nigeria acknowledges the pivotal role of its women in achieving accelerated national economic growth and development.
    He added that the country attached importance to realising demographic dividend and gender equality in all spheres of our national development plans.
    Nurudeen announced that Nigeria had been selected as one of the three pilot countries for the ‘Demographic Dividend with a Gender Dimension for 2018-2022’.
    The project is being implemented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as entry points for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
    He emphasised that Nigeria believed the advancement of women must be approached in a concerted and collective manner.
    “Nigeria reaffirms the importance of the effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and other International Agreements for the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
    “We must work together to ensure the upliftment of womanhood in the realization of objectives of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063,” he stressed.

  • BREAKING: Buhari emerges new ECOWAS chairman

    BREAKING: Buhari emerges new ECOWAS chairman

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday emerged the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS).

    This was revealed by the Chief Official photographer to the president, Bayo Omoboriowo on Tuesday via his official Instagram handle @bayoomoboriwo.

    President Buhari appointed Chairperson of ECOWAS

    A post shared by Bayo Omoboriowo (@bayoomoboriowo) on

    Buhari was elected during the 53rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government which concludes in Lome, Togo on Tuesday.

    He is expected take over from President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo.

    Recall that Buhari departed Abuja on Sunday for Lome in company with a team of two governors and five ministers.

    Also in the delegation are Babagana Monguno, the national security adviser (NSA); Abayomi Olonisakin, chief of defence staff; Ahmed Abubakar, the DG of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); and Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    Other countries that initially showed interested in the chairmanship are Ghana, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde.

     

    Details later…

  • Buhari meets Nigerian Community in Togo, discusses defection woes

    President Muhammadu Buhari said Sunday night that he was not bothered about the defections in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The President made his feelings known while responding to a question during an interactive session with the Nigerian community in Togo at the Nigerian Embassy, Lome, Togo.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Monday, quoted the president as saying that most Nigerians appreciated the performance of his administration.

    President Buhari said: “I am not bothered about the defections. Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us.

    “I assure you, majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts.”

    While expressing delight in seeing the Nigerians who had travelled from the five regions of Togo to welcome him in Lome, President Buhari said he was pleased to hear them commend the performance of his administration.

    He assured them that his administration had remained steadfast in keeping to its three campaign promises of providing security, improving the economy and fighting corruption.

    The President noted that if past governments had utilised even 25 per cent of the huge oil revenue available to them, Nigerians would not be complaining today.

    He cited the 16 billion dollars reportedly spent on electricity and yet Nigerians could not see the power.

    He, however, restated his administration’s commitment to providing critical infrastructure, providing loans to farmers thereby cutting rice importation by more than 90 per cent.

    President Buhari said all recovered illegally acquired assets would now be sold and the money paid into the treasury in the administration’s renewed anti-graft campaign.

    “I assure you that we are making progress in security as some displaced farmers are returning to their farms.

    “We will continue to work very hard for our dear country,” he stressed.

    In his welcome address, the Nigerian Ambassador to Togo, Joseph Olusola Iji, said the close to two million Nigerians in Togo were law-abiding and peaceful.

    He, however, drew the president’s attention to the inability of the Nigerian Mission in Lome to issue Nigerian passports, making applicants to go to Ghana or Benin Republic.

    Representatives of top bank executives, who spoke at the event, commended the economic policies of the Federal Government especially the Ease of Doing Business, agricultural revolution and anti-corruption campaign,

    According to the presidential aide, other leaders of the Nigerian Community at the event also lauded the discipline, transparency and accountability that the current administration has introduced into governance.

    “They also called for government assistance towards the completion of community’s on-going school building project in order to overcome the lack of good English schools in that country,’’ he said.

    On its part, the APC Togo Chapter, told President Buhari not to be worried about the defections from the party, assuring him of its support in the 2019 presidential election.

    The meeting with the Nigerian Community was the President’s first official engagement on arrival in Lome ahead of the Joint ECOWAS/Economic Community of Central African States Summit,

    President Buhari will also be participating in the 53rd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, among others.

     

  • #CHOGM18: Buhari calls for healthier business relationship among Commonwealth nations

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in London enjoined leaders of the Commonwealth to avoid trade wars and work collectively to preserve the global trading order.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity in a statement in Abuja, said Buhari made the call when he delivered his keynote address at the Commonwealth Business Forum at Guildhall, London.

    The Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) with the subject “Making Business Easier between Commonwealth Countries” is part of events at this year’s Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting, CHOGM- 25.

    President Buhari said: “If we are to make business easier between our countries and going beyond the Commonwealth, we must avoid trade wars and work collectively to preserve the global trading order, support regional initiatives as well as support domestic structural reforms that focus on the priorities of individual countries.”

    He reiterated his belief in wealth creation and employment opportunities within the Commonwealth.

    “If there is a collective Commonwealth Commitment to the Ease of Doing Business, we shall spur growth, multiply wealth and expand employment opportunities.

    “These objectives will be accelerated by trade and investment facilitation,’’ he added.

    The President identified Trade and Investment Facilitation, to generate resources for sustainable development, and Ease of Doing Business as factors capable of making business among Commonwealth countries easier.

    He also identified Regional Integration that expands markets with safeguards against injurious trade practices from third parties and more Inclusive Growth with the empowerment of women and the youth as other factors that would promote business among the countries.

    According to him, Nigeria has already started championing this course with events such as the “High-Level Trade and Investment Facilitation Forum for Development” convened by Nigeria in November 2017 in Abuja in partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS):

    He said: “We believe that the Commonwealth should lend its support to these types of activities, as a sound model, for Making Business Easier Amongst Commonwealth Countries.

    “To underscore Nigeria’s commitment to spreading prosperity throughout the Commonwealth, in the past 6 months, Nigeria Co-Chaired with the United Kingdom, the UK All-Parliamentary Group for Trade out of Poverty(APPG-TOP). The Report of this Commonwealth Inquiry Report was launched on 3rd April, 2018.

    “Nigeria affirms its commitment to the principal message from this Commonwealth Inquiry Group that Nigeria co-chaired with the UK.

    “The surest, most sustainable way to lift millions of people out of poverty across the Commonwealth is through boosting trade and investment. We believe that, we, as Leaders in the Commonwealth, should grasp the opportunity and agree a major new focus on trade and investment for inclusive development.’’

    President Buhari also shared the experiences of Nigeria regarding on-going deep and extensive ‘ease of doing business’ reforms which are being staged under a 60-day National Action Plan.

    According to him, Stage 1 focuses on eight areas that makes it easier to register businesses, obtain construction permits, get credit, pay taxes, have electricity, trade across borders, facilitate entry and exit of people and register property.

    He said these reforms were codified in an Executive Order, adding that transparency and efficiency across government was mandated and made enforceable.

    He noted that these reforms had resulted in improvements including reduction in cost and time and greater transparency particularly for micro, small and medium sized enterprises.

    “Stage 2 is focused on 11 areas, improving on Stage 1. This stage also covers new areas, including contract enforcement, simplifying the procurement process and trading within Nigeria. Action on this and subsequent stages will revolve, inter alia, around reputational issues,’’ he said.

    The President said these efforts had been acknowledged as evidenced in the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ Report published in November last year, which moved Nigeria up 24 places and recognized the country as one of the top 10 most improved economies in the world. He however said more work needed to be done as we enter the next stage.

    President Buhari noted that, “In developing countries, labour and industry are concerned about distortions in trade policies that result in subsidised products which have contributed to exports dumped in developing economies. These have had bad effects in the form of job losses.

    “Growth is not yet inclusive and remains elusive. There are downside risks about disruptions to trade and investment. Global and regional markets have been considerably rattled by the risks of trade wars. Concerns over climate change are unabated and are increasing. There are tasks and duties on all sides.”

    President Buhari called on the members of the Commonwealth Business Forum and prospective investors to participate in the 2018 “UK/Nigeria Trade and Investment Forum” at the London Stock Exchange.

     

  • Photos: Osinbajo attends emergency ECOWAS meeting in Togo

    Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday traveled to Lome, Togo where he is representing Nigeria at an emergency meeting of leaders of the Economic Community of West African States.

    According to a statement on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, the Vice-President is expected back in the country later in the day.

    The statement read, “Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is representing Nigeria today at an emergency meeting of leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, holding in Lome, the capital city of Togo.

    “The meeting is to take stock on developments in Guinea-Bissau. ECOWAS leaders will receive a report on the situation, deliberate on the presentation and issue a communique at the end of the meeting.

    “Prof. Osinbajo, who is accompanied to the meeting by Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, is expected back in Abuja later today.”

  • ECOWAS to make self-sufficiency in rice a reality by 2025 – Official

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says its rice offensive programme would make self-sufficiency in rice a reality in the sub-region by 2025.

    Mr Ernest Aubee, Principal Programme Officer and ECOWAS Head of Agriculture Division, made the disclosure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

    Aubee said that the programme had been designed to enhance rice production in all member states

    ‘‘The programme will basically look at how the region can increase its production so as to meet consumption needs and reduce import.

    ‘‘It will also create job opportunities for our own farmers especially youths and women.

    ‘‘It will also improve the value chain so that it could be of high quality and nutritionally suitable for us as ECOWAS citizens to consume.’’

    Aubee added that rice has become a highly strategic commodity in West Africa and is the largest source of food calories on the African continent.

    ‘‘ECOWAS countries imported around nine million tonnes of milled rice in 2014, representing a cost of 4 billion Euros.

    ‘‘To avoid risks of civil unrest and the scenarios of increased global food prices, there is an urgent need to increase rice production, processing, value-addition, and marketing in West Africa to achieve self-sufficiency.

    ‘‘Currently, the region depends on imports from Asia to fulfil about half of its consumption needs.

    “ECOWAS has initiated a regional offensive to reach rice self-sufficiency by 2025.’’

    However, the regional offensive for sustained recovery of rice production in West Africa Programme was approved by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in June 2014.

    Aubee said that this offensive was aimed at reducing imports to zero level by 2025.

    He said the joint collaborative spirit aimed at supporting the rice offensive would energise rice production in the sub-region.

    ‘‘It will also bolster a regional public-private partnership which makes self-sufficiency in rice and economic prosperity a reality in West Africa.

    ‘‘The fact book is a briefing document on key rice parameters in the ECOWAS region, opportunities and business cases aimed at attracting anchor investors.’’

    He added that the commission has been in partnership with CARI in four countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Tanzania to promote rice production in Africa.

    ‘‘We are member of steering committee for CARI for the whole of Africa and also a very active member in Nigeria Rice Advocacy Platform, helping to support rice cultivation in all rice production states.’’

    He explained, CARI Phase I has been successful in the four countries in the efforts to make Africa self-sufficient in rice.

    NAN

  • ECOWAS must run leaner, smarter organisation – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday that the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) must run a leaner and smarter organisation by cutting costs and becoming more efficient to achieve its objectives.

    Speaking while receiving the new President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Jean Claude Brou, at the State House, Abuja, the President also called on the ECOWAS Member States to pay their annual contributions as and when due.

    Buhari, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said a lot of work had already been done towards trimming the running cost for which a committee had recommended the reduction of the number of commissioners and the cost of keeping them in office.

    “We must work towards limiting costs, keeping the number of statutory positions low and running the organisation more efficiently,” he said.

    The Nigerian leader, while welcoming the new President of the ECOWAS Commission to Abuja, pledged the full support of the Federal Government in ensuring that his tenure was successful.

    He added: “The task is enormous. The job is not easy, given the many challenges facing the sub-region, ranging from issues of security and that posed by the environment, including the shrinkage of the Lake Chad.”