By Fortune Abang
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Council of ministers, has called on member states to deepen commitment, ensuring democratic dividends and development spreads out through the sub-region.
Mr Timothy Kabba, Chairman, ECOWAS Council of Ministers, and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs made the call in Abuja at the 55th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial level.
The call comes amid two-day intensive deliberations on the sub-region political and democratic challenges.
According to him, the sub-region is not an exclusion from the vibrations that emanate from the contested power dynamics of a multicolored world.
Kabba said, “This calls for all of us to look back into our governance system, to assess ourselves as a community, member state and to ensure that we make every effort.
“We recommit ourselves to deliver more divides of democracy, to put our people at the heart of our political decisions, to provide for our people, uphold the requirements of our constitution, and to respect the rule of law.
“Our community is challenged, but our leaders have demonstrated the resilience of our people and the resilience of our institutions.
“The incident of Dec. 7, 2025 over the attempt to subvert constitutional order in the Republic of Benin renewed ECOWAS’ commitment to zero-tolerance for unconstitutional takeover of government.
“We still face many challenges, but leaders have committed themselves to restore constitutional order and prevent the recurrence of coup d’état in our sovereignty.”
He observed the thinking by critics that ECOWAS focuses too much on political insecurity.
He stressed that without peace, security and stability there can be no development, and that those three pillars are the foundation for ECOWAS premium on community peace, security and stability.
While, he thanked the council for its commitment to peace and security, ensuring a coup-free sovereignty that guaranteed peace, security and economic development for the community.
The chairman urged ministers to work closely together to build trust as the bedrock of such partnership, adding that without trust, efforts and resources may not yield desired results.
Kabba identified some of the aging challenges plaguing the sub-region to include poverty, diseases, climate change and climate-induced farming as one of the source of insecurity.
“Our community remains one of the fairest in African; I can travel from Freetown to Abuja on just an identity card.
“We must be proud of our forefathers who initiated this vision of a community where people work together and live together in peace,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)