ECOWAS To Launch Single Currency In 2027

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on
Saturday dusted up its plan to launch a single currency for member
nations.

The union agreed on a new road map to launch ECO in 2027, six
years away. The previous plan was truncated by the coronavirus
pandemic. The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi
Brou, informed reporters in Accra at the end of a summit of the
leaders that the new road map and a new convergence pact would
“cover the period between 2022-2026, and 2027 being the launch of
the ECO.” Member countries are banking on the single currency to go
a long way in boosting trade and economic growth.

Also, the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS)
Heads of State and Government have vowed to join other members of
the global community to achieve a reformed and rights-balanced
United Nations. Chairman of the ECOWAS’s Authority of Heads of
State and Government and President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, made
the vow yesterday in his opening speech during the 59th Ordinary
Session of the regional body in Accra, Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo noted with delight the planned UN reforms,
as he stated the need for balancing of the membership of UN
Security Council in order to have African representatives on the
council as permanent members. “Africa’s common position on UN
reforms, based on the Ezulwini Consensus, is one matter we will
work hard to add on the global agenda, to solicit the backing of
countries around the world for this long-needed reform.

“We believe it is time to correct the long-standing injustice
that the current structure and composition of the UN Security
Council represents for the nations of Africa,” the ECOWAS Chairman
said. He, however, used the occasion to thank all African countries
for supporting the candidacy and election of Ghana into the UN
Security Council as a non-permanent member.

He also lamented the continuous threats of terrorism, violent
extremism and COVID-19 among others, to the development of African
continent. President Akufo-Addo also assured that the ECOWAS’s
Authority of Heads of State and Government would continue to
sustain democracy within the region, through the conduct of
successful elections.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, who used the occasion to appreciate
the support he has received so far from his colleagues, Presidents
of countries within the West African region, called for more
collaboration, in order to move West Africa forward. He therefore,
used the opportunity to commend the efforts of African leaders
towards sustaining democratic tenets, as he congratulated the
Presidents of Niger and Benin Republics, for their recent successes
at the polls.

“Let me congratulate warmly, our brothers and colleagues,
Mohammed Bazoum and Patrice Talon, who have been elected as
Presidents of the Republics of Niger and Benin, since our last
summit. I offer them my and the community’s best wishes for their
success during their terms of office. I commend also the Republics
of Cote D’Ivoire and Cape Verde for the conduct and outcomes of
their latest legislative elections. Our region continues to
strengthen its democratic credentials through the holding of
successful elections.”

While thanking African leaders for supporting the election of
Ghana as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, he
assured the continent of a worthy representation. “On behalf of the
government and people of Ghana, I thank all ECOWAS and AU member
States for the support of Ghana’s recent successful candidature for
a non-permanent seat in the United Nations’ Security Council for
the years 2022 and 2023. I assure you that Ghana will make sure
that Africa’s voice is heard loud and clear in the deliberations of
the Security Council, both for matters affecting our region, the
African continent and on global issues and we will consult properly
to define Africa’s interest,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has charged ECOWAS to
sustain the pressure on the military regime in Mali to stick to the
agreement transition plan. He gave the charge yesterday in Accra
during the 59th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads
of State and Government. According to a statement issued by his
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba
Shehu, President Buhari said ”at this Summit today, we are expected
to review a number of important reports dealing with various issues
of concerns to our organisation and people.

”In doing so, we must take realistic and practical decisions
which will positively impact our citizens. Some of those decisions,
necessarily will have to do with evolving political and security
situations in our sub-region as well as evaluate the health of our
organisation with the hope of repositioning to serve our people and
sub-region better. While democracy continues to develop in our
sub-region, recent events in Mali are sad reminders that vigilance
remains a crucial imperative to protect people’s aspirations to
freely choose the form of Government they want.

‘’Pressures are needed to ensure that the transition process in
Mali, which is half-way to its conclusion, is not aborted. A
further slide in Mali could prove catastrophic to the Sub-region,
considering that about half of that country is unfortunately under
the grip of terrorists,” he said. The Nigerian leader, therefore,
appealed to the military leadership in Mali to understand the
critical state of their country, which he described as being
”clearly under siege.”

In his remarks, the Representative of the UN Secretary General’s
office in West Africa and the Sahel, Annadif Saleh, pledged to
support the effort of ECOWAS to restore political stability in
Mali.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on
Saturday dusted up its plan to launch a single currency for member
nations.

The union agreed on a new road map to launch ECO in 2027, six
years away. The previous plan was truncated by the coronavirus
pandemic. The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi
Brou, informed reporters in Accra at the end of a summit of the
leaders that the new road map and a new convergence pact would
“cover the period between 2022-2026, and 2027 being the launch of
the ECO.” Member countries are banking on the single currency to go
a long way in boosting trade and economic growth.

Also, the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS)
Heads of State and Government have vowed to join other members of
the global community to achieve a reformed and rights-balanced
United Nations. Chairman of the ECOWAS’s Authority of Heads of
State and Government and President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, made
the vow yesterday in his opening speech during the 59th Ordinary
Session of the regional body in Accra, Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo noted with delight the planned UN reforms,
as he stated the need for balancing of the membership of UN
Security Council in order to have African representatives on the
council as permanent members. “Africa’s common position on UN
reforms, based on the Ezulwini Consensus, is one matter we will
work hard to add on the global agenda, to solicit the backing of
countries around the world for this long-needed reform.

“We believe it is time to correct the long-standing injustice
that the current structure and composition of the UN Security
Council represents for the nations of Africa,” the ECOWAS Chairman
said. He, however, used the occasion to thank all African countries
for supporting the candidacy and election of Ghana into the UN
Security Council as a non-permanent member.

He also lamented the continuous threats of terrorism, violent
extremism and COVID-19 among others, to the development of African
continent. President Akufo-Addo also assured that the ECOWAS’s
Authority of Heads of State and Government would continue to
sustain democracy within the region, through the conduct of
successful elections.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, who used the occasion to appreciate
the support he has received so far from his colleagues, Presidents
of countries within the West African region, called for more
collaboration, in order to move West Africa forward. He therefore,
used the opportunity to commend the efforts of African leaders
towards sustaining democratic tenets, as he congratulated the
Presidents of Niger and Benin Republics, for their recent successes
at the polls.

“Let me congratulate warmly, our brothers and colleagues,
Mohammed Bazoum and Patrice Talon, who have been elected as
Presidents of the Republics of Niger and Benin, since our last
summit. I offer them my and the community’s best wishes for their
success during their terms of office. I commend also the Republics
of Cote D’Ivoire and Cape Verde for the conduct and outcomes of
their latest legislative elections. Our region continues to
strengthen its democratic credentials through the holding of
successful elections.”

While thanking African leaders for supporting the election of
Ghana as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, he
assured the continent of a worthy representation. “On behalf of the
government and people of Ghana, I thank all ECOWAS and AU member
States for the support of Ghana’s recent successful candidature for
a non-permanent seat in the United Nations’ Security Council for
the years 2022 and 2023. I assure you that Ghana will make sure
that Africa’s voice is heard loud and clear in the deliberations of
the Security Council, both for matters affecting our region, the
African continent and on global issues and we will consult properly
to define Africa’s interest,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has charged ECOWAS to
sustain the pressure on the military regime in Mali to stick to the
agreement transition plan. He gave the charge yesterday in Accra
during the 59th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads
of State and Government. According to a statement issued by his
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba
Shehu, President Buhari said ”at this Summit today, we are expected
to review a number of important reports dealing with various issues
of concerns to our organisation and people.

”In doing so, we must take realistic and practical decisions
which will positively impact our citizens. Some of those decisions,
necessarily will have to do with evolving political and security
situations in our sub-region as well as evaluate the health of our
organisation with the hope of repositioning to serve our people and
sub-region better. While democracy continues to develop in our
sub-region, recent events in Mali are sad reminders that vigilance
remains a crucial imperative to protect people’s aspirations to
freely choose the form of Government they want.

‘’Pressures are needed to ensure that the transition process in
Mali, which is half-way to its conclusion, is not aborted. A
further slide in Mali could prove catastrophic to the Sub-region,
considering that about half of that country is unfortunately under
the grip of terrorists,” he said. The Nigerian leader, therefore,
appealed to the military leadership in Mali to understand the
critical state of their country, which he described as being
”clearly under siege.”

In his remarks, the Representative of the UN Secretary General’s
office in West Africa and the Sahel, Annadif Saleh, pledged to
support the effort of ECOWAS to restore political stability in
Mali.