The President of ECOWAS, Mr Marcel De Souza, on Thursday, expressed frustration over the paucity of fund being experienced by the commission.

De Souza, a Béninoise, was speaking in Abuja when he led a delegation from the commission to a courtesy visit on the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Khadijat Abba-Ibrahim.

He appealed to Nigeria and other member states to rescue the commission by paying up their outstanding levies.

“We have certain challenges that we are facing. The first is our financial situation that has become quite precarious.

“The situation is tied to the economic condition in the member states and the fact that the price of oil has dropped.

“The community levy which represents 90 percent of our funding is no longer regularly paid by most member states; Nigeria is not alone in this regard, also Cote D’Ivoire,” he said.

He said that Cote D’Ivoire, Cape Verde and Senegal were major defaulters, but the greater challenge was Nigeria.

“We see that the greatest challenge lies with Nigeria. The arrears that Nigeria is owning is 694,000 dollars because there was no payment made between 2015 and 2016.

“Because of the debt burden it carries, ECOWAS is now losing its credibility,” the president said.

According to him, Transcorp Hilton where meeting of all Heads of State was held in 2015 had not been settled by the commission.

He added that the bills of peace building troops sent to Guinea Bissau and Mali were yet to be paid, stressing that peace would always come with a cost.
“So, we wish to see our credibility restored. We appeal to Nigeria that the outstanding bill between 2015 and 2016 be paid.

“Without Nigeria and without Nigeria’s contribution we will not be able to sustain our activities neither we will be able to restore our credibility,” he said.

The minister congratulated the president on his appointment, stressing that his vast experience would help in addressing the challenges of the commission.

She said that the issue of finance raised should be brought before President Muhammadu Buhari in as much that ECOWAS delegation would visit him later.
She said that other issues raised would be discussed in due course.

The minister said that she would discuss the issue of accommodation raised earlier by the ECOWAS leader with her counterpart in the Federal Capital Territory.
She pledged to assist the commission to secure a guest house for its president through the FCT minister so that it would not incur further hotel bills.

According to her, the issue of security is a thing of general concern and that it is necessary that troops are paid on time to give them the incentives to fight terrorism.

Nyerhovwo101:
Hummm.... I wonder if Kanu would ever get justice with d way things are right now

DaBullIT:
Wwhat justice ??

When he was asking for massacre , killings was he doing justice to the Nation ?

Nyerhovwo101:
may I ask u what killing has taken place as a result of his utterance?

DaBullIT:


The Abia / Aba mass graves and coverup by the Abia state government is still fresh in our memories , Your people actually killed Police, Navy and buried them in mass graves, and that's not all , Kanu Boasted about it in one of his broadcasts

DaBullIT:
Wwhat justice ??

When he was asking for massacre , killings was he doing justice to the Nation ?

Nyerhovwo101:
Hummm.... I wonder if Kanu would ever get justice with d way things are right now

ItsMeAboki:

My thoughts exactly: he who pays the piper dictates the tune; Dilector has no chance of the ECOWAS court siding with him or enforcing anything in his favour against the Nigerian government.
LOL, he should therefore expect more time in Kuje prison and a diet of watery beans.

superstar1:
This is the same Ecowas Our Dilector, the toothless sheep and shameless ipods are using to threaten Nigeria.

You are still Learners, with capital "L" dangling on your neck.