Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, has listed Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo as the ECOWAS Chairman to champion the on-resource mobilisation for the activation of the ECOWAS standby for counter-terrorism.
He said upon assuming the position as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Akufo-Addo utilised his position to highlight the need for West African nations and their heads to build a strong and cordial partnership with their citizens to ensure trust and cooperation, as well as foster long-term peace and development in the region.
“Ghana has been a founder of ECOWAS, the chair of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government under whose authority a lot has been achieved in the region is Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo. He is the ECOWAS Champion on resource mobilisation for the activation of the ECOWAS standby for counter-terrorism and a whole lot of other initiatives,” he disclosed.
“We know what he has achieved, democrat at heart, and everything that they have done and we are very thankful,” he said.
Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah made this known at the opening ceremony of the three-day Interdepartmental Meeting on the Rightsize of the Structure of the Maritime Coordination Centres in Accra, yesterday.
The interdepartmental meeting will witness an insightful presentation on CRESMAO: legal framework, mission, organisation, functioning, achievements, and staff challenges. MMCC Zone E, F, G: legal framework, mission, organisation, functioning, achievements, and staff challenges.
President Akufo-Addo was first elected as Chair of the 57th ECOWAS meeting held in Niger’s capital in September 2020. He was re-elected for a second term as ECOWAS Chair at an extraordinary session held on February 2, 2021, via video conference call.
During his tenure as Chairman, President Akufo-Addo played a key role in addressing regional challenges, including the Gambia’s political crisis, Mali’s security issues, and the implementation of the ECOWAS Single Currency (Eco).
He also led the ECOWAS Committee on Political Affairs, promoting peace, security, and political cooperation in the region.
Early this year, President Akufo-Addo called for a clear policy direction by ECOWAS on how to put up with terrorism issues in the Sahel region.
The President made this statement when the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, called on him at the Jubilee House.
He emphasised that an opinion must be reached on a strategy in the future if the ECOWAS is to make any meaningful impact in solving the issues of terrorism in the West African region.
President Akufo-Addo explained that Ghana alone could not lead the charge on the matter unless the regional bloc gathered synergy and worked collectively.
“The whole scenario that is emerging requires that we have a consensus amongst us as to how we retreat the alliance of Sahel states.
“For me, that is the noble point. The epicentre of terrorism in our region is there… I think it is important that the Heads of State meet to clarify exactly the parameters we should go in trying to define the policy,” he said.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke