COVID-19: Buhari To Brief ECOWAS In Niger Republic

President Muhammadu Buhari, will on Monday lead a Federal Government delegation to the 57th Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States Authority of Heads of State and Government which will hold in Niamey, Niger Republic.

As the ECOWAS Champion on the Fight against COVID-19, Buhari is expected to present a report on the pandemic in the region to the summit.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday titled “President Buhari attends ECOWAS summit in Niger Republic; COVID-19, economy, security and democracy top agenda.”

The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Monday for Niamey, Niger Republic to participate in the 57th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

“The one-day summit will deliberate on the Special Report on COVID-19 to be presented by President Buhari who was appointed the ECOWAS Champion on the Fight against COVID-19 during the Extraordinary Virtual Summit of ECOWAS on April 23, 2020.

“As a champion, the Nigerian leader was expected to coordinate the sub-regional response against the pandemic. In furtherance of that objective, under the supervision of the Champion, Nigerian Ministers of Health, Aviation, and Finance were appointed Chairpersons of the Ministerial Coordination Committees on Health; Transport, Logistics, and Trade; and Finance respectively.”

Shehu said the summit would also receive a special report on the ECOWAS single currency programme to be presented by President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone and Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the West African Monetary Zone, and President Alassane Ouattara, who is Chair of the West African Economic Monetary Union.

The presidential aide added that the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean 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.

“President Buhari, who will be accompanied to the Summit by ministers and other top government officials, will return to Abuja after the meeting,” the statement added.