ECOWAS Gets New Exco

The new executive members of the Economic Community of West African State, ECOWAS, have been charged to sustain the tempo of operational standards of the outgoing team so as to remain the best performing regional economic community in the continent.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, gave the charge during a handover ceremony by the outgoing President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi-Brou at Abuja.

The new President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, a Gambian, who took over from Kassi-Brou after his four-year tenure this July 2022, is expected to pilot the affairs of the ECOWAS Commission for the next four years.

Addressing the assembly, Ambassador Dada applauded the outgoing team for having worked tremendously despite daunting challenges of insecurity, poverty, poor health, as well as the Russia and Ukraine war, which he noted, has ravaged the region with food crises.

He urged them to place the interest of the people they represent above other issues to ensure the enhancement of the ECOWAS Commission; advising the new management to ensure accountability and effective administration to boost citizens’ confidence in the region.

For Jean-Claude Kassi-Brou, the past four years was spent on implementing their mandates despite the numerous difficulties faced by the region.

He commended the ECOWASmember states for their support to victims of natural disasters and conflicts arising from terrorist attacks in the sub-region.

On his part, the incoming President, Dr. Touray, commended heads of states and governments for entrusting him and his team with the office, noting that there is need for constant collaboration and commitment with partners to avert hunger and poverty in theECOWAS region, especially at this critical moment of insecurity.

It was gathered that in a bid to reduce operational cost as proposed by member states, the ECOWAS Commission, which previously had fifteen executive members, now has seven members charged with the responsibility of making the institution more people-oriented and developmentally-driven in order to achieve set goals.