The new President of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Commission, Dr. Omar Touray of the Gambia, has assumed office.
Dr. Touray, a Gambian diplomat, who was born in November 1965, will be the President of the ECOWAS Commission for the period of four years from 2022 to 2026.
He is taking over from Dr. Jean Claude Bro, from Ivory Coast, whose four-year tenure ended on June 30, 2022.
In a handing over and welcome ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria, Dr. Touray pledged to carry out institutional reforms to ensure a more effective and more focused regional bloc.
He said; “I appreciate that today is a handing-over day, not a day for detailed policy pronouncements. But allow me to reiterate the importance our leaders attach to the ongoing institutional reforms.
“These reforms must be expedited to ensure more focused, effective, and efficient community institutions.”
Dr. Touray emphasised the importance of multilateral and bilateral partnerships in tackling the challenges facing the region.
He said; “Our multilateral and bilateral partners (UN, AU, EU, AfDB, and individual countries) will all agree that at no moment has the partnership been so important than now.
“The insecurity we face at various levels would require deeper partnership and consistent collaboration. Our partnership should therefore be sufficiently equitable and efficient to enable us to lift our people from abject poverty through capacity development, investment, and fair trade. Most importantly, it should also allow us to achieve lasting peace and security across the region and indeed across the whole African continent.”
Dr. Touray said the incoming management would interface with their predecessors to enable them to build on their achievements.
He also pledged the new management’s commitment to carry out institutional reforms.
The new President said; “For my colleagues and me, the coming days will be a critical learning period.
“We will go over the handing-over notes, and interface with you collectively and individually to understand the achievements realized and the challenges faced in various areas, including Institutional Reforms, governance, peace and security, trade and economic integration, and partnerships.
“For us to build on the achievement of the outgoing team and chart new courses, we must be able to appreciate fully the success stories in the various sectors and lines of business as well as those that are still work in progress.”
Dr. Touray thanked the outgoing President of the Commission, H.E Dr. Jean-Claude Brou, and his team for their stewardship over the past four and a half years.
While enumerating the numerous security and economic challenges occasioned by Covid-19, he promised to tackle these challenges head-on and deliver on his mandate.
He enjoined Member states to ensure full payment of their community levies and the full implementation of ECOWAS protocols.
Dr. Touray expressed his appreciation to the President and the Government of the Republic of The Gambia for proposing his candidature and the Heads of State and Government of the Community for the unanimous endorsement and confirmation of his appointment.
The former President of the Commission, Dr. Jean-Claude Brou, thanked the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari for his unflinching support to ECOWAS Institutions.
He welcomed warmly Dr. Omar Touray and all incoming statutory appointees for their nomination as leaders of ECOWAS Institutions for the 2022-2026 period.
He used the opportunity of the handing-over ceremony to highlight the achievements of the 2018-2022 management particularly in the areas of promoting security, peacebuilding, and combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Brou praised the Member States for their resolute efforts and courageous stand to confront terrorism and banditry in the region which resulted in the development of the action plan.
He stated that on the political front, the deepening of democratic culture was improved upon with 11 countries peacefully conducting presidential and legislative elections during his tenure.
Dr. Brou said the free movement of persons and goods was strengthened through the adoption of the ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card which is being implemented in five countries while listing progress made in agriculture production systems and regional infrastructure development.
He commended all staff of all the ECOWAS Institutions for their hard work and dedication during his tenure and encouraged them to extend the same to the incoming management, thanking Partners both bilateral and multilateral for their support and assistance.
In his address, the Nigerian Minister for State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada, commended the outgoing management led by Jean-Claude Brou, for the wonderful achievements recorded in the region during their tenure.
He congratulated the new President Dr. Omar Touray and other statutory appointees and assured them of Nigeria’s support.
The Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in their last meeting in Accra Ghana approved the appointment of Dr. Omar Alieu Touray and other Statutory appointees with Ms. Damtien Tchintchibidia of Togo as the new Vice President of the Commission.
Other statutory management appointees inaugurated include; Professor Nazifi Abdullahi Darma, Commissioner for Internal Services, Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Mme Massandjé Toure-LLite Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Sédiko Douka, Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation and João Alage Mamadu Fadiá, Auditor-General.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
