President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), revealed that the body is still in talks with the military leaders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to persuade them to return to the fold.
News About Nigeria reports that Tinubu said this at a meeting with the ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja on Thursday.
While noting that no country should exist in isolation, the President maintained that the ECOWAS would continue to extend a hand of friendship to the countries.
He said, “It is in our hearts to make sure that security is enhanced and that constitutional government is defended and promoted in our region. It has been a challenging tenure for me since three members indicated their exit. We will work hard to persuade them to return, whichever way. No one man is smarter than the group of heads that is here. We will do everything to offer a hand of friendship to them and give them reasons to come back to us.”
Speaking to the Defence Chiefs, the ECOWAS Chairman vowed that the body will continue to partner with them in the fight against insecurity.
”The solution to terrorism and other challenges lies in our hands. We have to do it together. The ECOWAS standby force must be ready. We will continue to invest in this, as well as in the economic prosperity and opportunities across our region.”
Tinubu also lauded them for their commitment to regional stability and protection of constitutional governance.
