From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Edwin Clark, has hailed former military head of state, Yakubu Gowon, for his courage in calling on Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of States to lift sanctions on some of its erring members, Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso following the takeover of government in the three countries by the military.
He also hailed President Bola Tinubu and other ECOWAS leaders for heeding Gowon’s wise counsel and removing most of the sanctions following the summit, which was held on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
In response to the sanctions, the adamant military juntas in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, on January 27, 2024 announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, saying the regional bloc had derailed from “the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism.”
However, following the intervention of Gowon, one of the founding fathers of the regional bloc, ECOWAS, on Saturday, rising from its extraordinary session of the Heads of States and Governments in Abuja, announced the lifting of the sanctions.
In a statement personally signed, Clark said he was not surprised by Gowon’s intervention considering his efforts towards the formation of the body on May 28, 1975.
He said: “I join most other patriotic Nigerians to commend you for the courage in recently calling on ECOWAS Heads of States to lift sanctions on some of its erring members. This is certainly a display of a high sense of responsibility, which can only come from a revered elder statesman such as you.
“I am not surprised knowing the personal efforts that you put in towards the formation of the body on May 28, 1975. With great efforts and charisma, you personally engaged all the regional and brought everyone under one roof. Against language barriers and political prejudices against one another, especially as quite a handful were military officers; you led faithfully in uniting all into one community.
“I recall with pride the privilege you afforded to me travelling, in Nigerian military aircrafts, to various countries, including Senegal, Gambia, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, as your commissioner of Information (minister) and special envoy to canvas your colleagues to attend the summit which held in Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“Each president or head of state, who attended the summit which took place at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, was assigned the Federal Commissioner (Minister) to look after the president or head of state who attended the summit at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Former head of state, Murtala Mohammed, who was the federal commissioner for communication, was assigned to the radical head of state, Guinea Bissau’s president, Amicar Cabral. I was assigned to president Dawda Jawara of Gambia, and the summit was very successful.
“And I also congratulate President Tinubu and ECOWAS leaders that have heeded your counsel as most of the sanctions have been removed following the summit, which is on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
“I do hope that your intervention will now make it possible to arrive at an amicable resolution within the body, and the three countries will now rescind their earlier decisions to leave.”