Sierra Leone’s foreign affairs minister and chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Timothy Kabba, has called for zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government among member states.

Mr Kabba said this during the opening ceremony of the 95th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in Abuja on Wednesday.

This, according to him, came on the heels of recent military incursions, humanitarian crises, and emergency declarations in several member states.

Mr Kabba said, “We must remain united, vigilant, and decisive in upholding a zero-threat stance of ECOWAS against unconstitutional changes of government. Our commitment must translate into timely reactions, measured responses, and strengthening preventive mechanisms. 

“We will continue to be committed to constructive engagement with member states that are presently in transition. Our objective is not to isolate the state, but to foster a credible, inclusive, and time-bound return to democratic governance. 

“We will speak with a unified voice, guided by our protocol on democracy and good governance, to ensure the swift restoration of constitutional order and the preservation of our regional principles without compromise.”

He urged the participants to approach the 95th Ordinary Session with renewed dedication, optimism, and a spirit of cooperation and determination to achieve the desired goals. 

He decried the security and governance challenges confronting the sub-region, saying there should be a collective determination to safeguard peace, protect democratic institutions, and ensure that citizens’ aspirations for stability and development are not derailed.

He disclosed that the council plans to, over the course of the meeting, examine memoranda and comprehensive reports to gain an in-depth understanding of the community’s current state and identify areas for enhancement.

The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, urged the ministers to examine the various memoranda that required their collective decision and full consideration. 

He said that this included an annual work programme, the budget of the community institutions, the financial situation of the community, the status of implementation of the community levy protocol, and the reports of the monitoring general of the ECOWAS Institution and the Audit Committee.

Mr Touray said, “We will be presenting for information, memoranda on the status of implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, including the work of the task force on the scheme, and memoranda on the ECOWAS Single Currency. The council will also be briefed on the financial situation of the West African Power Group, our flagship regional electricity market platform currently facing challenges, on account of debt owed by national electricity companies.”

He disclosed that ECOWAS had appointed Alhaji Aliko Dangote, its Pioneer Chairperson of the ECOWAS Business Council, in view of his vast experience in business within our sub-region and across Africa, to promote intra-regional trade and investment.

(NAN)