- The Nigerian president called on West African leaders to prioritise good governance and collective prosperity as an essential tool to forestall authoritarian takeovers of power and unconstitutional changes of government in the region
Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu, says good governance and thriving economy are antidote to military takeover of power that has plagued the West African sub region in recent years.
The Nigerian president called on West African leaders to prioritise good governance and collective prosperity as an essential tool to forestalll unconstitutional changes of government in the region.
He made the call while addressing the high-powered regional gathering at the 64th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, in Abuja, on Sunday.
The president identified good governance as a vital tool to secure popular support through the socio-economic transformation and development of West Africa.
“The delivery of good governance is not just a fundamental commitment; it is also an avenue to address the concerns of our citizens, to improve their quality of life, and create a stable environment conducive to the achievement of sustainable development.
“By providing good governance that tackles the challenges of poverty, inequality and other concerns of the people, we would have succeeded in addressing some of the root causes of military interventions in civilian processes in our region,” the President said.
President Tinubu, while recounting decisions taken by West African leaders to further strengthen the region’s democratic achievements and uphold the right of the people to elect the leaders of their choice, said the bloc had outlined specific measures to be taken against any member state opting for unconstitutional change of government.