President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday, depart Abuja to participate in the 57th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Niamey, Niger Republic.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, made available to news men in Abuja on Sunday, said the one-day summit will deliberate on the Special Report on COVID-19 to be presented by Buhari.
Recall that the President was appointed the ECOWAS Champion on the Fight against COVID-19 during the Extraordinary Virtual Summit of ECOWAS on April 23, a position that made him the coordinator of the sub-regional response against the pandemic.
In addition, Nigerian Ministers of Health, Aviation and Finance were appointed Chairpersons of the Ministerial Coordination Committees on Health; Transport, Logistics and Trade, and Finance respectively.
According to Garba, a Special Report on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme would be presented by President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone at the Summit.
Bio, who is the Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), would be joined by President Alassane Ouattara, who is also the Chair of the West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMOA) during the presentation.
“The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean Claude Kassi Brou will present to the West African leaders, the 2020 Interim Report on activities of the sub-regional body including ECOWAS Vision 2050.
“The alarming rise in incidents of terrorism, insurgency, armed banditry and piracy will also come under focus, while the disruption of the democratic process by the military in Mali, will receive further attention.
“Similarly, in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Niger where parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for this year, the imperative to strengthen democracy in the sub-region by respecting constitutional provisions, rule of law and outcomes of free and fair polls, will be emphasised,” the Media aide stated.
Shehu stated that the president, who would be accompanied to the summit by ministers and other top government officials, would return to Abuja after the meeting.
