“Don’t be afraid to take the tough jobs. You’ll develop confidence in dealing with tough issues that will serve you for the rest of your career.” – Geisha Williams. Years ago, good leaders in the comity of the subregion decided to form a body known as Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) with the sole aim of not only bringing the nations together but to also foster relationship and contribute to the development of the region.
Growing the subregion economic is not ruled out of the agenda too and this was the time when leaders were leaders and those who desired them have it in their various calling. As the world grows and more development spreads, especially with the information technology that have changed the entire universe, many countries in the world decided on how to make life better for their citizens but the subregion of ECOWAS saw and think differently. The young leaders who are the beneficiary of the leadership at that time came on board with only one agenda; take the office of the president of each country by force. It is true that as time progresses the regional leaders were hard on military government presiding over the nations and called for democratic government, where the people decide who leads them. To worsen the situation those who chased the military away have now become leaders and rather than develop the subregion what concerns them was to take over the countries leadership with ballot box snatching and massive election rigging.
Whenever any leader succeeds in taking over their country in this manner, rather than condemn the act such leaders were applauded by their colleagues and even made the Chairman of the ECOWAS. Within the shortest possible time the cabal’s club becomes a place to plan taking over a nation leadership with force not even seen during military regimes. The club rather than tell the world that we have arrived with good developmental plans, instead encouraged their brothers contesting elections to kill and get the position to prove to the poor masses that we are in charge and so election manipulation and rigging were taken to the next level by the cabals with the support of their club.
Having seen enough without any benefit to their people from the cabal’s club, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso decided to take the bull by the horn. Since they are being governed by military decisions to exit the club was not hard to decide, and to the admiration of their people the countries announced to the world that their membership of the cabal’s club have ended. Noting the shame, the exit of these countries will bring to the body the cabal’s club issued a statement that the trio have been suspended from the body before their exit. Even at that the damage has been inflicted by the withdrawal of these countries. It has sent a signal to the rest of the countries under the cabal’s club that time is up and many appears to be planning to follow the footstep of these noble countries that exited.
For years, the almighty France held these countries by the throat and to even sip a cup of water becomes a problem to the citizens and since the Bible says that there is time for everything under the earth, the people took the bold step and expelled France from their respective countries. The same France, which told the world that if they exit the francophones countries the people will not survive for a second but here we are, the people are not only surviving but even doing better now.
For all these years, the cabal’s club did not one day call on France to leave these countries alone rather they teamed up with France to loot and over loot the countries. If we can drive France from our countries who is there in the name of cabal’s club that can stop us from exiting it and they succeeded in their trade. Now countries like Russia and China are courting these countries with amenities including weapons and these are the same countries the cabal’s club were also patronizing when it comes to buying of military hardware.
The case of Gabon was even worst off. The father of the deposed president was in power since Independence until he passed away only for France to install his son as the president, and before being overthrown by the military his son was the Vice President of the country.
On January 28, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced a joint decision to withdraw from ECOWAS as soon as possible. The joint statement stressed that ECOWAS “is under the influence of foreign powers, becoming a threat to the member states and their peoples”. According to the Minister of Economy and Finance of Burkina Faso, Abubakar Nakanabo, “The ECOWAS will lose over about 45 billion West African CFA francs (more than 68.6 million euros) each year due to the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the union, and ECOWAS will also suffer because the transition from 15 to 12 countries (within the association) will inevitably lead to a loss of income,” the minister said in an interview with the AIB news agency. As of today, members of the body cannot point at any single achievement other than using it to promote the interest of certain politicians in the respective countries. In the sub-region with their military, police and other security operatives there was heavy insecurity and the entire sub-region leaders have no single plan as you have in the advanced countries. In the advance countries with such sub-regions they have military and other security organs on ground to come to the aid of any member, but in ECOWAS such ideas are not in existence. It is a fact that till now no country in the sub-region is manufacturing shoes or caps for its security personnel. Such minor items, which could be produced in Aba in Abia State, were imported with trillions of naira from foreign powers. What make the importation to also boom was the fraudulent practices surrounding it, and with this nothing like planning to manufacture clothing is in place. All the military weapons that are in use in the sub-region were also imported. The fighting jets and helicopters were all imported. There is no single equipment manufactured or planned to be manufactured in the cabal club. The decision to withdraw from the club by these countries has attracted commendations from economics and analysts all over the world except the leaders of the cabal’s club.
In all the years the leadership of the cabal’s club runs to foreign hospitals leaving the sub-region hospitals, which they claimed to be investing in heavily.
A president of Nigeria will run to France, Germany, England or United State of America to treat cough and cold, yet hospitals in Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger can treat such ailments. The reason is that they did not even trust themselves and the fellow countries.
With the current leadership of the body some universities in the club are now awarding four years degree in six months. To worsen the situation none of the leader’s children are schooling in the sub-region institutions. In everything the leaders have nothing to offer humanity and especially the people of the sub-region other than promote their greedy and selfish interest.
The three nations that withdrew from the cabal’s club will be better off for it rather than remain where their interest was not promoted over the years. The leaders of those countries should undertake activities that will touch their people’s lives positively, and once they are able to create industries and improve the agricultural sector other members of the club will see them as partner and begin negotiation with them on how to survive by importing these products rather than going to Europe to source for such products.
The military leaders should focus on the hospitals and make them world standard. The school structures should be re-examined in order to raise the standards to world level. In terms of security, more personnel should be recruited into the armed forces and also provide standard trainings for such personnel so that they can tackle all aspects of insecurity in the country. With sport like football the people’s unity can be elevated hence more investment, especially in football, should be given top priority. There is nothing wrong if the three countries organize yearly competition as this will further bring the people together.
Esivwenughwu is a chartered accountant, politician and an analyst.
