The Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu, has said leaders in the region must begin to explore ways to deliver good governance.
Addressing the high-powered regional gathering, the Nigeria leader identified good governance as a key catalyst to secure popular support through the socio-economic transformation and development of West Africa.
He said such priority would ensure collective prosperity and probably prevent authoritarian seizures of power and unconstitutional changes of government in the region.
He said: “The delivery of good governance is not just a fundamental commitment; it is also an avenue to address the concerns of our citizens, to improve their quality of life, and create a stable environment conducive to the achievement of sustainable development.
“By providing good governance that tackles the challenges of poverty, inequality and other concerns of the people, we would have succeeded in addressing some of the root causes of military interventions in civilian processes in our region.
“While the imposition of punitive sanctions may pose challenges, it is important to underscore that the struggle to protect the fundamental liberties of our Community’s Citizens must be upheld and respected.
“To this end, I would like to reiterate the imperative of re-engaging with the countries under military rule on the basis of realistic and short transition plans that can deliver democracy and good governance to the innocent populations in those countries.
“On our part, we should be prepared to provide them with technical and material support, to ensure the achievement of these strategic goals.”
