.…. As regional bloc slams new sanctions on Niger
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has advised Nigerians not to treat the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS ultimatum given to the coupists in Niger Republic as a personal thing
The president who is also the Chairperson of the ECOWAS said this through his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale while addressing State House Correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday.
Ngelale pointed out that the mandate given to the Nigerian president to oversee ECOWAS is not a Nigerian mandate but that of ECOWAS which comprises several countries with diverse ethnic and religious groups as members.
The Spokesman also disclosed that ECOWAS has ordered more sanctions on Niger following refusal of the military Junta to return the country to democratic order .
“I can also report that following the expiration of the deadline of the ultimatum and standing on the preexisting consensus position of financial sanctions meted out on the military junta in Niger Republic by the bloc of ECOWAS Heads of State, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an additional slew of financial sanctions through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on entities and individuals related to or involved with the military junta in Niger Republic.”
“The ECOWAS mandate, and ultimatum is not a Nigerian ultimatum. It is not a Nigerian mandate and the office of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the chairman of ECOWAS seeks to emphasize this point. That due to certain domestic and international media coverage, tending toward a personalization of the ECOWAS sub regional position to his Person and to our nation individually.
“It is because of this that Mr. president has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum by issued ECOWAS is that of ECOWAS’s position. While His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assumed the ECOWAS chairmanship, the position of ECOWAS conveys the consensus position of member heads of state. And a coup will not occur in one’s backyard, without one be particularly aware of it.
“The president in recent days, particularly following the expiration of the ultimatum given by ECOWAS has widened consultations internationally but most especially domestically, including interfaces with state governors in Nigeria, who govern states bordering Niger Republic on the various fallouts and outcomes of the unfortunate situation that has unfolded in Niger Republic.
‘But President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, wishes to emphasize to this distinguished audience that the response of ECOWAS to the military coup in Niger has been and will remain devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments and considerations.
“The regional bloc is made up of all sub regional ethnic groups, religious groups, and all other forms of human diversity. And the response of ECOWAS, therefore, represents all of these groups, and not any of these groups individually.”
Following the earlier sanctions and threat of military invasion,the Junta closed its airspace on Nigeria and also severed ties with other member – states not supporting its actions including France,its former colonial master.
To give its government legitimacy and credibility, the Junta appointed civilians into positions including a former Minister of Economy and Manager of African Development Bank ,Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as Prime Minister.
