At the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, Tinubu's election was announced. Since taking office on May 29, 2023, the President's first engagement on the African continent was the summit of the 63rd Ordinary Session. Tinubu, the newest member of West Africa's elite club of heads of state, promised to uphold the office's obligations and

Tinubu, the newest member of West Africa's elite club of heads of state, vowed to uphold the office's responsibilities and lead an inclusive administration of the regional body. However, the Nigerian president issued a dire warning, noting that the sub-regional danger to peace had grown alarmingly serious due to terrorism and a developing pattern of military takeover, which now calls for immediate and coordinated response. He said that the region's prosperity and development were being hampered by insecurity and subdued terrorism. In response to attacks, the Plateau government imposes a 24-hour curfew in Mangu LGA. 

"Tinubu urged member nations to act in concert, promising that under his leadership, frameworks will be harmonized to realize ECOWAS's goals".

"I will see to it that these plans are quickly coordinated and that resources and political will are mobilized to make the projects a reality. We must cooperate in order to establish an effective regional counterterrorism strategy since terrorists do not respect borders, he added. Deploring the trend of coups d'etat in West Africa where troops have curtailed democratic mandates, Tinubu urged ECOWAS to defend democracy firmly." 

We must be adamantly pro-democracy. Without democracy, there can be no government, no freedom, and no rule of law. We won't stand by as West Africa experiences coup after coup. Although democracy is the finest type of government, it is also the most complex to run.

There is not a single person in this group who did not run for office. We didn't provide our forces with the means, equipment, or training they needed to infringe on people's freedom. 

It is against the principles upon which they were employed, namely to preserve the sovereignty of their nations, for them to use their weapons against civil authority. We cannot act like toothless bulldogs in ECOWAS, the President said.

News Source:  Channels TV online, By Kayode Oyero

Paris - Monday, July 10, 2023

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