… says Leaders’ lack of
political will is to blame

Former President Olusegun
Obasanjo has lamented the
inability of the Economic
Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) to
effectively meet the
expectations of the founding
fathers 41 years after its
establishment.
Obasanjo identified lack of
political will on the part of
leaders of member – states
as a major factor why the
organisation has not
fostered real economic union,
growth and development in
the West African sub –
region. The ex – Nigerian
leader made the observation
on Monday when President of
the ECOWAS Commission,
Marcel Alain de – Souza, led
a four-man delegation on a
courtesy visit to him at his
residence on Presidential
Hilltop Estate, Abeokuta,
Ogun State.
He said it is shameful that for
whatever reason that
ECOWAS countries would
have to be begging
international communities for
supply of food and other
humanitarian aides to any
challenged part of West
Africa.
He, therefore, made case for
a deeper and stronger
economic integration among
ECOWAS member – nations
as that would help stem the
tide of growing youth
unemployment in countries of
West Africa.
According to him, a stronger
economic integration coupled
with political will from leaders
of ECOWAS member nations
would ensure growth and
development as well as
create a wide market for the
sub – region’s jobless
hands.
He also rued that ECOWAS
founding fathers never
envisaged that issues of
internal conflicts could weigh
heavily on the sub –
regional body such as it
experienced experienced in
countries such as Sierra
Leone, Liberia, Mali, Guinea-
Bissau, Cote D’ Voire among
others.
According to him, those
conflicts retarded the growth
of member nations since 41
years ago when ECOWAS
was established.
“Let me emphasis that 41
years ago ECOWAS was
established, the expectation
of all of us was very high, I
think we will not be fair to
ourselves if we do not say
to ourselves we have not
moved as fast and as far the
expectation 41 years ago
had been.
” But as you have rightly
said there has been issues
that have come up that were
unexpected, I think again we
must tell ourselves the truth
that there has not been
enough political will on our
part to move that sub
regional organisation as fast
and as far as we should
have done.
“I have maintained that all of
us in West Africa, in our
different countries and
indeed in Africa we are
sitting on a keg of gun
powder for as long as we do
not pay adequate attention
to youth unemployment. A
situation where more than 50
per cent of our youths are
unemployed is extremely
dangerous.
“We now have a situation in
part of West Africa where
people now are dying of
starvation. Is it that we are
not producing enough food?
Or if we are producing, what
we produced are evenly?
“It is shameful for whatever
that has led us to be begging
international communities for
supply of food to any part of
West Africa, it is not right.
“I want to say this that most
of these conflicts; most of
these causes of insecurity or
breach of security were
because adequate attention
had not been paid to what I
will call inclusiveness.
“Inclusiveness in terms of
political, economic and social
development of all our
countries. Inclusiveness
gender wise, inclusiveness
social wise, inclusiveness
religious wise, inclusiveness
ethnic wise and we must
appeal to our leaders in our
sub region to take these
issue of inclusion seriously,”
Obasanjo said.
Earlier in his speech, de-
Souza said he was in
Abeokuta to familiarize
himself with Obasanjo having
been appointed President of
ECOWAS and also seek his
advise on matters
concerning sub-regional
body.
Souza, who spoke through
an interpreter, said he was
inclined to visit Obasanjo
because the former Nigerian
President has always
showed commitment to
ECOWAS, always making
himself available for the
Commission.”
He disclosed that Obasanjo
is a Special ECOWAS’ envoy
to Guinea-Bissau, stressing
that the visit to Abeokuta
was premised on the fact
that Obasanjo was one of
the founding fathers of
ECOWAS and to know if he
has come out with any
solution to the crisis in
Guinea-Bissau.

http://thenationonlineng.net/obasanjo-laments-ecowas-inability-founding-fathers-expectations/

Monkey. The day you kick the bucket will be the best day for Nigerians

Interesting enough you won't hear things like this from them when they are in office.

Why beating about the bush? Pretender. Say the Buhari dullist you helped install has failed beyond measure

....................see who is talking. shiooooooooo

He has heard that Malabu is under investigation!!!

E never start. Hurricane Buhari the destroyer will soon go round

No be una close eye support the fool?