President Bola Tinubu on Monday evening returned to Abuja, the nation’s capital, after a two-day official visit to Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, to attend the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
President Tinubu arrived the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 6:30pm, aboard the NAF 001 Boeing 737 jet.
While in Bissau, the President was on Sunday unanimously elected the new Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, making his one of the fastest into that office, after election into office as President of any of the member-states.
In his acceptance speech as Chairman of ECOWAS, President Tinubu pledged to bear the responsibility of the office and run an inclusive administration of the regional organisation.
He warned that terrorism and the persistent pattern of coup d’etat in the region had reached an alarming levels, demanding urgent and concerted action.
According to him, insecurity and creeping terrorism were stunting the progress and development of the sub-region, necessitating a collective action from member-states.
While decrying the emerging pattern of coup d’etat in West Africa, Tinubu charged ECOWAS to stand firm in defence of democracy.
“There is no one among us who did not campaign to be a leader. We didn’t give our soldiers resources, we didn’t invest in them, in their boots, in their training to violate the freedom of the people,” he said.
According to him, the military turning its guns against civil authorities violates the principles upon which they were hired, which is to defend the sovereignty of their nations.
“We must not sit in ECOWAS as toothless bulldogs,” he added.
He urged his counterparts to strengthen their respective democratic institutions and ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law, saying his one-year tenure “will enhance engagements with the countries in transition (Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso) to ensure their quick return to democratic rule.”
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
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