Abuja - Nigeria — President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency James Victor Gheho has paid tribute to ECOWAS Founding Fathers for their vision and also acknowledged the continued contributions of development partners and collaborators to the region's integration efforts.
"As the Community prepares to enter its 37th year of existence, a dispassionate assessment reveals that the Organization has matured into a sustainable and vibrant brand in regional integration worldwide and a model on the continent of Africa," the President said at an evening reception held at the Trascorp Hilton Abuja, Friday 27th May 2011, to mark the ECOWAS 36th anniversary, which fell on Saturday 28th May 2011. While striving to facilitate the realization of the aspirations of over 230 million Community citizens for human security under its integration project, he said the Commission "continues to earn and enjoy the respect and cooperation of an ever growing list of international partners," adding that the Organization would continue to count on the solidarity, cooperation and assistance of such partners.
The President also paid homage to the current Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria as well as his colleagues Heads of State and Government for their guidance and dedication to the objectives of the Community. "We must be justifiably proud of our achievements over the years, while acknowledging our responsibility to continually strengthen the Organization's institutional and programmatic framework to enable our Community Institutions drive the processes aimed at maximizing the benefits of the region's great potentialities and its boundless resources for the benefit of its peoples," he told the gathering which included diplomats of countries and institutions accredited to the ECOWAS Commission, representatives of development partners. He affirmed that the regional integration process was anchored on a solid strategic framework that "flows from the ECOWAS Vision 2020, the aim of which is to transform the region from an ECOWAS of States into an ECOWAS of peoples living in a peaceful and secure environment and benefitting from the abundant potentialities and resources of our region."
In spite of the shocks of exogenous factors including the consequences of the global financial and food crises, he said the economies of West Africa continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience, thanks to a combination of prudent macro-economic policies and strong demand for the region's resources. Noting that the estimated 6.2 percent growth rate recorded by the region in 2010 still fell short of the minimum 7 percent economic growth rate required for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the President stressed the need for Member State to scale up investment in the social sector. He suggested that they formulate their economic policies within the framework of the regional development programme and diversify the export base of their economies to ensure sustainability and mitigation of future economic shocks.
Addressing a press conference earlier in the day at the Commission headquarters, President Gheho highlighted progress in the area of peace and security, implementation of regional agricultural development programme to ensure food security as well as progress on the single monetary policy and the Community's flagship Protocol on the free movement of people, goods and services, among others. Through effective application of the ECOWAS Mechanism (1999) and the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, he said ECOWAS has been able to progressively and incrementally stabilize the region and promote democratic governance. He noted that by insisting on its policy of "Zero Tolerance" for power obtained or maintained by unconstitutional means, ECOWAS with the cooperation of the African Union, the United States and European Union and other partners, has succeeded over the past two years in restoring constitutional order and legality in Member States Guinea, Niger and Cote d'Ivoire, and contributing to the conduct of relatively peaceful, transparent and credible presidential elections in Guinea, Niger, Benin and Nigeria. "We can be justifiably proud that today, due to our effective and proactive preventive diplomacy, no active war is taking place in our Community and democratic culture is taking root," the President said, adding: This benign situation is gradually translating into a more optimistic outlook with our region progressively becoming a favoured destination for investors."
Ambassador Gheho also reported progress in the ECOAIR and ECOMARINE projects noting that while challenges associated with the implementation of the protocol on free movement were being addressed, the "ECOWAS region remains the first and only region in Africa with a visa-free travel regime." He therefore urged the media to join the Commission and other partners in efforts to curb crime, especially drug and human trafficking and to ensure a seamless implementation of the protocol on free movement of people, goods and services, through effective sensitization and public awareness campaigns.
ECOWAS came into existence on 28th May 1975 through the Treaty of Lagos. From a modest beginning it has grown into a strong regional grouping of 15 countries of a culturally diverse community united under the goal of regional integration.
