Abuja-Nigeria — Niger Republic authorities have honoured members of the ECOWAS Mediation Team led by former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, for contributing to the restoration of peace to Niger following the country's 2009 political crisis.
In a solemn ceremony at the president's residence in the nation's capital, Niamey, on 3rd August 2012, which coincided with Niger's 52nd independence anniversary, General Abubakar and other members of his team were decorated with Niger's national honours by President Issoufou Mahamadou. During the ceremony attended by the Speaker of the Niger National Assembly, Mr. Hama Amadou, other government dignitaries as well as the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo and other distinguished guests, Niger's Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and African Integration Minister, Mr. Marou Amadou, said the gesture was to "honour great friends and bothers of Niger who distinguished themselves through their efforts when the country was in need."
The Minister paid glowing tribute to General Abubakar and his team for mobilizing themselves "to save Niger from political drift." "General Abdulsalami Abubakar was appointed by ECOWAS as Mediator in the inter- Niger Dialogue when the country was going through one of the severest crises in its history," he said. "This was a wise choice because General Abdulsalami is a great statesman and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a great brotherly country which shares multiple andmultifaceted ties with Niger." General Abubakar, a previous recipient of Niger National award, was this time round bestowed with the Medal of Grand Cross of the National Order of Niger, the country's highest honour.
Also honoured were Senator Lawan Gana Guba, a former Nigerian Minister of Cooperation, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and General Seth Obeng, Ghana's former Chief of Defence Staff and former Commander of the country's contingent to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Liberia. Other awardees were Nigeria's General (Rtd) Ishola Williams and Ambassador Wisdom Baiye, Mr. Babacar Guèye of Sénégal, Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, Director of Political Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Mohamed Diagne of Sénégal, a former head of ECOWAS Bureau in Ouagadougou, Mrs. Pierrette Kpegba, a Private Secretary to the President of the ECOWAS Commission and Dr. Kwaku Asante-Darko of the African Union. In his response on behalf of the Mediation Team, General Abubakar expressed gratitude to the Niger authorities for the honour. Recalling "the unfortunate events that led to the crisis which posed a serious threat to Niger's unity," he lauded the resilience, determination and democratic spirit of the people of Niger which, he said, enabled the country to overcome the 2009 political crisis and restore constitutional order.
The Nigeria former Head of State also commended ECOWAS for its proactive stance on issues relating to democracy, peace and security in the region, noting that the organization "steadfastly stood by Niger to ensure that democracy and rule of law were restored." General Abubakar and the Niger Minister also thanked President Ouédraogo for his presence at the ceremony, saying that this was further demonstration of his and ECOWAS commitment to promote democracy and good governance in West Africa. Speaking on the margins of the event, Ambassador Ouédraogo said he was happy and honoured to attend the ceremony, adding that General Abubakar and his team worked very hard to ensure that peace and stability were restored in Niger.
"For me, the honour also goes to ECOWAS," he said. "I therefore express (our) gratitude to Niger authorities for this honour. I seize this opportunity to reiterate my congratulations to the entire negotiation team, particularly General Abubakar who, thanks to his wisdom, patience and tact, successfully established fruitful dialogue between all the stakeholders that resulted in the happy outcome." ECOWAS had suspended Niger for violating the regional protocols on democracy and good democracy after the then President Mamadou Tandja was granted a term extension through a constitutional referendum held on 4th August 2009. Niger opposition boycotted the referendum and subsequent parliamentary elections, thereby throwing the country into a deep political crisis. The situation was eventually resolved through the intervention of the ECOWAS Mediation.
