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| Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) |
The federal government on Thursday joined in the facilitation of the quick restoration of civilian rule in Burkina Faso, a day after President Muhammadu Buhari hosted an Extraordinary session of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments in Abuja, where the decision was taken to ensure the termination of last week’s military coup in the West African nation.
Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), who represented President Buhari yesterday in Ouagadougou, among the select group of West African leaders who were in the Burkinabe capital, said the leaders were there “to convey the recommendations agreed by ECOWAS leaders in Abuja, and we have witnessed the reinstatement of President Michel Kafando as the Transition President of Burkina Faso.
Speaking with reporters in the capital city after series of consultations, meetings and a formal restoration of power ceremony, Osinbajo, according to his Senior Special Assistant-Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, stated that the restoration of civilian authority in Burkina Faso after last week’s military coup conducted by the country’s presidential guards (known as the Presidential Security Regiment or RSP) “is a very good sign, a positive thing,” observing that ECOWAS played a significant role in the process that made the restoration possible.
According to him, “as you know, President Kafando had been detained by the presidential guard, but they have now stepped down as you can see and they are now part of the process to ensure that the transition goes on.”
He continued: “what we have seen today is how ECOWAS states came together basically to agree and see to it that President Kafando was reinstated and now that has been accomplished.”
Praising the leaders of ECOWAS including President Buhari, President Boni Yayi of Benin, and the current Chairman of ECOWAS, President Macky Sall ofSenegal, alongside all the leaders in the West African region, the vice-president said “now we are all looking at how to advance the transition process here in Burkina Faso.”
He said while there are still difficult issues to be resolved as fallouts of the coup crisis, it is clear that progress will continue, judging from the fact that the people are determined, all the groups involved are now engaged in the process and are cooperating.
Osinbajo reiterated Nigeria’s continued brotherly support for Burkina Faso, while also commending the international community for coming together to condemn the coup.
According to him, “I think it is very clear going by the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the legal instruments of the African Union, that coups are no longer fashionable and no longer acceptable. In fact, it is punishable to take power by force. As soon as this coup took place, the entire ECOWAS, AU and the entire international community rose with one voice against it.”
On his part, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday commended ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments over their unflinching resolve which led to the reinstatement of the interim President of Burkina Faso, Kafando.
Ekweremadu, according to a statement by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, made the remark when he received a delegation of the Pan-African parliament which was on a study visit to ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.
According to him, by unanimously rejecting the coup d’état in Burkina Faso, ECOWAS leaders had made yet another strong statement that military coups and all forms of unconstitutional take-over of political power were no longer acceptable to the peoples of the sub-region.
He said: “Capture of power by undemocratic means is against the letters and spirit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance as well as the provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Our military officers in every part of the sub-region must understand this.
“I am glad to hear that the leader of the military coups admitted to reporters that it had been ‘the biggest mistake.’ But we honestly do not want such costly mistakes in any part of Africa again. Democracy has come to stay here and any attempt to scuttle it will always meet stiff and uncompromising resistance from the peoples of the Community.”
He encouraged leaders in the sub-region to promote good governance and shun policies and actions which give rise to political instability in their respective countries.
“Political freedom is important to democracy. We believe politicians can always work together in our various countries irrespective of their political leanings. And to be honest, our people care less about political parties. They rather care about better life and development.
“I am proud of what ECOWAS has achieved so far. Aside the European Union, I believe we are one of the most successful regional groupings in the world. We have done well in regional integration; we have done well in the area of common external tariffs and free movement. We are dealing with the issues of settlement and trade partnership agreement with Europe.
“Sadly, however, the ECOWAS Parliament has not grown in the same proportion as ECOWAS. Efforts to enhance its powers are yet to scale through for obvious reasons. This is not good for democratic regional governance,” he said.
In her remarks, the leader of the delegation and Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters at the Pan-Africa Parliament, Hon. Sarah Sayifwanda, of Zambia, regretted the low volume of trade among African countries compared to the volume of trade between individual African nations and Europe, Asia, among others.
He advocated policies meant to discourage discrimination against African women who engage in trans-border trading in Africa and implored the Nigerian National Assembly to include women in subsequent Nigeria National delegation to the Pan-African Parliament.
SOURCE: DAILY POST
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