G' W🌎RLD: ECOWAS ultimatum not Nigeria’s mandate

•Orders CBN sanctions on individuals, entities relating with junta
•Bids by UN, AU, ECOWAS, US to parley with coup leaders fail
•Military option would decelerate pace of economic recovery—CPPE’S YUSUF

By Tunde Oso (with additional agency reports) & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu said yesterday the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Heads of State and Government’s ultimatum against the military junta in the Niger Republic was not that of Nigeria.

He also ordered the acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi to make another financial sanctions against individuals and entities relating with the military junta that overthrew the democratically elected government of the country.

Tinubu spoke as fresh bids by the United States, the United Nations and the African Union to come to the negotiating table was rejected by the junta.

The African Union (AU) planned to send a joint mission with representatives of the UN and ECOWAS to Niger on Tuesday, but it was denied permission by the junta, which has closed Niger’s airspace, French magazine Jeune Afrique reported.

The United Nations said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly supported mediation efforts by ECOWAS.

Briefing State House correspondents, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, explained that the ultimatum by ECOWAS, even though President Tinubu is the Chairman, remained the position of the regional body and not that of Nigeria as a country.

He said in recent days, following the expiration of the ECOWAS ultimatum to the military junta to reinstate the sacked democratically elected government, the President had widened his consultations.

He said: “Concerning the ultimatum given to the military junta in Niger Republic, ECOWAS mandate, and ultimatum is not a Nigerian ultimatum. It is not a Nigerian mandate and the office of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the chairman of ECOWAS, seeks to emphasise this point.

“That due to certain domestic and international media coverage, tending towards personalization of the ECOWAS sub-regional position to his person and to our nation i

ndividually.

While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assumed the ECOWAS chairmanship, the position of ECOWAS conveys the consensus position of member heads of state. And a coup will not occur in one’s backyard without one being particularly aware of it.

“The President in recent days, particularly following the expiration of the ultimatum given by ECOWAS, has widened consultations internationally but most especially domestically, including interface with governors in Nigeria who govern states bordering Niger Republic on the various fallouts and outcomes of the unfortunate situation that has unfolded in Niger Republic.

“But President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wishes to emphasize to this distinguished audience that the response of ECOWAS to the military coup in Niger has been and will remain devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments and considerations.

“The regional bloc is made up of all sub-regional ethnic groups, religious groups, and all other forms of human diversity. And the response of ECOWAS, therefore, represents all of these groups, and not any of these groups individually.

”It is expected that at the extraordinary Summit that will hold on Thursday (tomorrow), far reaching decisions will be taken concerning the next steps of the regional bloc, according to developments as they unfold.’

However, Dr. Muda Yusuf, Director/CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise has warned the chairman of ECOWAS, President Tinubu against contemplating military intervention, urging him to take into account the wider social, economic, welfare and security implications for the countries of the subregion and their citizens.

Yusuf, the immediate past Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, in a statement, maintained that there were far reaching macro-economic, trade and security and geo-political ramifications which should be carefully considered.

Meanwhile, hours after a US envoy failed to make progress in an unannounced visit, the soldiers, who seized power in Niamey on July 26, blocked a mission by ECOWAS in the run up to a summit on Thursday. (tomorrow).

In a letter, the coup leaders said that public “anger” triggered by ECOWAS sanctions meant the delegation’s safety could be at risk.

“The current context of public anger and revolt following the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS does not permit the welcoming of this delegation in the required conditions of serenity and security,” the foreign ministry said in the letter seen by AFP.

ECOWAS slapped trade and financial sanctions on Niger after rebel soldiers toppled the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.

The bloc also gave Niger a seven-day ultimatum to reinstate Bazoum or face potential use of force, but the coup leaders defied the warning.

A source close to ECOWAS said on Monday that military intervention was not being immediately envisaged, adding that the path to dialogue still appears open.

The bloc sought to send a delegation to Niamey yesterday, ahead of the crisis summit tomorrow in Abuja.

However, Yusuf, the CPPE chief, said yesterday that the current balance of payment position of Nigeria is weak and might not be able to support any major military engagement outside the nation’s shores.

Yusuf said: “Our external sector is fragile, posing a profound challenge of currency volatility. The worsening of the external sector would adversely impact investors confidence, weaken growth prospects and decelerate the pace of economic recovery.

“In a war situation, there are inherent risks of destruction of assets, damage to infrastructure, disruption of the livelihoods of innocent citizens, softening of investors’ confidence, deceleration of investment growth, aggravation of country risk and the dampening of GDP growth prospects.

“If Nigeria decides to go ahead with a military campaign in Niger, our defense spending may have to increase substantially, possibly by 100 per cent or more.

”Over 70 per cent of the spending would have to be foreign exchange. Though the military option would be an ECOWAS decision, the burden of prosecuting the operation would have to be borne substantially by Nigeria. These are scenarios we need to worry about.”