…Task ECOWAS, Tinubu to lift sanctions on military junta

The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) has asked the military junta in the Republic Niger to review its relationship with Nigeria and the rest of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS ) by setting free, ousted President Mohammed Bazoum and his immediate family to freely proceed on exile to any country of their choice.

The forum which held a marathon meeting that lasted several hours on Tuesday, condemned in very strong terms, the spate of military coup d’ etats in the democratic spaces of West Africa, especially the coup in Niger Republic.

Chairman of the Forum, Sen Abdul Ningi who read the resolutions of their communiqué further urged the junta in Niger to bring about a transition timetable that will last not more than two years.

“The NSF also urged the Authority of Heads of States of ECOWAS to lift the sanctions on Niger Republic in the interest of business and the survival of the border communities.

According to Ningi lifting the economic sanctions and opening the borders have become necessary to ensure that Nigerians would not suffer because of the coup that took place in that country. He said that given what is happening in Gaza in the ongoing Israeli/ Hamas confl

“We urge the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces and of course, the Chairman of ECOWAS, Sen Ahmed Bola Tinubu to as a matter of humanitarian gesture restore electricity supply to the Niger Republic in line with the Nigeria/ Niger Treaty and Mandate. We therefore call the attention of the Nigerian authorities that we remain partners, we remain brothers,

“We remain Africans and above all, we remain human beings,” he said. When asked if the intervention was not too late Ningi said, it was never too late to save the lives of fellow brothers in Africa.

“We have a very long and robust relationship with Niger Republic. We have shared boundaries, shared ethnicity and we have shared a common religion.

“We want to emphasise the need for ECOWAS and Nigeria to look at how the conflict has affected human beings and business.

“Since the coup that took place in Niger, not a single vehicle has crossed from Niger into Nigeria and not a single vehicle has crossed from Nigeria into Niger. If you go to the Nigerian/Niger border today, there are more than 5,000 vehicles that have been on the road in the last three months.

“We know the business relationship that exists between Niger and Nigeria and we think that regardless of what anybody would say we should be able to understand that Niger was there for us; Niger was there for Nigeria during the civil war. We must never forget that. We think that it can never be too late to intervene.

“We are democrats and that is why we condemned the coup ab initio. But we know as a matter of fact that Nigeria’s interests should come first.

“You will recall that about 40 days ago. the government of United States recognised the military junta in Niger. Why did they recognise the regime? It is business.

“Our interest is their own interest in the problem in Africa. Remember that the cornerstone of Nigeria’s foreign policy is Africa. Whatever and wherever Africa is affected it is in the interest of Nigeria to make sure that things are done and done well,” he said. (New Telegraph)

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