ECOWAS standing force‘ll confront existential threat – Tourey

President ECOWAS Commission Dr Omar Tourey has said the formation of a sub-regional standing force by the bloc would address any disintegration and existential threat before it.

Tourey said this at the formal opening of the first 2024 ordinary session of the 6th ECOWAS Parliament Monday at the National Assembly in Abuja.

The president of the commission said the formation of the embryonic standing force was a response to the threat posed by terrorism, violent extremism, and military coups in West Africa.

According to him, the Commission was already putting in place all the necessary measures, including funding and logistics, for the standing force to become a reality.

“Our region is facing the risk of disintegration with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger notifying ECOWAS of their intention to exit.

“Their exit will worsen insecurity and free movement, and deal a deadly blow to ECOWAS, especially regarding our joint efforts towards forming a regional standing force which all member states have all agreed.

“It will also lead to international isolation of these three countries and they will also not enjoy ECOWAS support for any international position they aspire for,” Tourey said.

The president of the commission disclosed that ECOWAS had already opened dialogue and negotiations with the three Sahelian states to persuade them to rescind their decision to quit.

Tourey noted that the three countries would lose a lot more by exiting the bloc, stressing that they would gain more by remaining in ECOWAS.

“For instance, they will stop using ECOWAS passports, and cannot register companies. ECOWAS will stop all ongoing projects totaling over 500 million dollars in their countries.

“ECOWAS Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBID) alone has projects worth nearly 321 million dollars in these countries.

“Their quitting will also lead to the closure of regional institutions in their countries, and this will lead to the loss of many jobs by their citizens,” he said.

Tourey, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), therefore, urged the parliamentarians to make meaningful contributions towards integrating West African countries as one entity, stressing that it was crucial ahead of ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary in May 2025.

 …Akpabio tasks body on collaboration

Declaring the session open,Nigeria’s President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio said the  myriad of challenges in the West African sub-region can be surmounted through required galvanisation by the ECOWAS Parliament.

 He said the galvanisation should be driven by the spirit of unity, innovation and an unwavering belief in the sub-region’s shared destiny.

This, according to him, was needed to transform the region’s collective aspirations into enduring achievements. 

Represented by the Deputy President of the Senate and the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Barau Jibrin, the President of the Senate highlighted the centuries-old history of collaboration among the diverse people of the region.

 He urged the Community Parliament to go beyond legislation and uplift the people by exemplifying the power of collaboration.