President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the West African subregion is tormented by numerous challenges especially the threat to democracy in Mali and Guinea.
He disclosed this on Sunday at the opening ceremony of the 60th Ordinary Session of Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS at the State House in Abuja.
President Buhari at the event said, “our democracy is being challenged in Mali and Guinea,” and added that West Africa continues to suffer from various major challenges including political, security, environmental and socioeconomic concerns linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
He called on the ECOWAS leaders to continue to work together in a pragmatic way to confront the numerous challenges noting that it requires collective action.
“All of these challenges require our collective action to work in concert with each other to pragmatically address and provide our people better prospects in life. Today’s realities remind us of the need to continue to forge stronger solidarity in order to address the new challenges, including the current third wave of the pandemic and its new Omicron variant.
“I am glad that the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) are continuing to work with our respective National Disease Control Centres to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on our people and sub-region,” he said.
President Buhari commended Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo who is also the Chair of Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government for the purposeful leadership, commitment, and energy he continues to exert to resolve the challenges confronting the organization.
“Despite the enormity of these challenges, our Chair has navigated us well and continues to do so. We owe him enormous gratitude,” he said.
The President noted that challenges of COVID-19 and the catastrophic consequences hoisted on the socio-economic environment had continued, adding that the regional resilience, determination, and resolution of working together, in solidarity with each other, assisted greatly to lessen the burdens of the Pandemic.
“Excellencies and dear colleagues, without doubt, the occasion for which we have gathered here today, is a clear demonstration of our resolute commitment to the effective integration of our sub-region.
“As a people, we aspire to create a borderless, peaceful, prosperous and cohesive region, built on good governance and where people have the capacity to access and harness its resources through the creation of opportunities for sustainable development, job creation, and environmental preservation,” he added.
According to the President: “Furthermore, threats are looming around, environmental degradation and climate change on our farming system. We are facing a network of criminals, including terrorism.
“At this 60th Ordinary Session, we have before us several issues of critical importance to the Community, as listed on our Agenda. I would, therefore, urge us to carefully consider the issues to be presented to us and take well-informed concrete decisions for the welfare and wellbeing of our peoples and the future of our community.”
In his remarks, Akufo-Addo said about 10,000 people had died from the Covid-19 pandemic in West Africa, and only two percent of the population had been fully vaccinated, while 6 percent got one dose.
He said the emergence of a new variant poses fresh challenges, adding that the sanctions and restrictions on travelling were unjustified.
