Nigeria / ECOWAS heads of state to hold extra-ordinary summit in Abuja

3 Sep 2009 12:19 Africa/Lagos


Nigeria / ECOWAS heads of state to hold extra-ordinary summit in Abuja

ABUJA, September 3, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- ECOWAS Heads of State and Government are to meet on Saturday, 5th September 2009 in Abuja in an extra-ordinary summit to hold talks on Niger which has been embroiled in a
constitutional crisis.
The summit will consider the report of the ad-hoc ministerial committee which was set up by the Mediation and Security Council at its last meeting on Monday, 24th August 2009 in Abuja.

Composed of Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the ad-hoc ministerial
committee which arrived in Niamey on Saturday, 29th August 2009 was mandated, among
others, to work with all political stakeholders in Niger, including the National Council for Dialogue, towards the restoration of dialogue and consensus which characterized the political environment before the current crisis.
Specifically, the ad-hoc ministerial committee was commissioned to gather all relevant information that may assist in arriving at an accurate assessment of the political situation in Niger; hold consultations with the President of Niger, government officials, civil society groups, the media, traditional leaders and other relevant political stakeholders in the country as well as draw up a report and a set of recommendations based on the observations made during the mission.
The ad-hoc ministerial committee's report is expected to include the status of political activists who were detained for their opposition to the actions of President Mamadou Tandja. The Mediation and Security has since called for their release.

The extra-ordinary summit is yet another effort by ECOWAS leaders to have the Nigerien authorities to respect the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance as well as the country's Constitution.

PRESS RELEASE
COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE
Published by: Department of Communication, ECOWAS Commission
No 101 Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District Abuja – Nigeria
Publé par: Le Départment de la Communication, La Commission de la CEDEAO
No 101 Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District Abuja – Nigeria
Tel: (234) (9)3147641 Fax: (234) (9)3147641/3005 E-mail: info@ecowas.int

In June 2009, ECOWAS Chairman and President of Nigeria, Musa Yar'adua, sent
President Tandja a special message through former Nigerian Head of State, retired Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, to convey the concerns of ECOWAS and Nigeria over the
constitutional crisis in Niger.

The regional Council of the Wise and a tripartite delegation comprising the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Special Representative of the United Nation's Secretary General to West Africa and an African Union envoy to Niger also met with President Tandja in Niamey towards resolving the crisis.

Source: Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)




Startup Weekend Nigeria Rocks!