Nigeria’s President and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has directed the Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to issue financial sanctions against individuals and entities relating to the leaders of the coup that toppled the democratic order in neighbouring Niger Republic.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Nglale, saidMore Sections For Niger Republic Coupists, Associates this in Abuja on Tuesday while briefing State House Correspondents.
He said: “The news that Mr. President has directed the Acting CBN Governor to levy another slate of sanctions against entities and individuals associated with the military junta in Niger public. I said that intentionally I didn’t make a mistake, because I was permitted to make that statement.
“And I emphasize that this is not an individual action taken by an individual President on behalf of an individual nation. This is an action taken Yes, by the ECOWAS Chairman who is the President of Nigeria, but standing on the authority provided by the consensus resolution of all ECOWAS members and Heads of State about financial sanctions being levied by the ECOWAS Member States against the military junta in Niger Republic.”
Nglale also reacted to recent comments about the decisions taken by ECOWAS against the military junta in Niger, where many are blaming President Bola Tinubu for decisions taken by ECOWAS as a bloc.
“There is an authority that we are standing on. It is not the Nigerian government’s authority, it is the authority of the resolution passed in public before now. This is the context, the nuance, and the detail that is required in our reports, lest our people be misinformed.
“And we begin to be framed internationally as being in a situation where it’s Nigeria versus its neighbour, Niger because that’s the narrative that some certain International Perspectives would like to advance for their own interest,” he said.
The Presidential spokesman said that in recent days following the expiration of the ECOWAS ultimatum to the military junta to reinstate the sacked democratically elected government, the President has widened his consultations.
Nglale said; “ECOWAS will decide on the next action against the military junta in the Niger Republic over their failure to reinstate the dethroned democratically elected president after the 7-day ultimatum issued by the regional bloc.
Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu said that the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government ultimatum against the military junta in the neighbouring francophone country is not Nigeria’s ultimatum but that of the region.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity emphasised that the ultimatum by ECOWAS even though President Tinubu as its Chairman, remained the position of the regional body and not the position of Nigeria as a country.
ECOWAS has already convened a meeting of its Authority of Heads of State and Government to be held in Abuja on Thursday, to review its position and come up with new decisions on the political situation in Niger.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
