Wishing Prez Mahama successful tenure as ECOWAS Chair
The Daily Graphic commends President John Dramani Mahama for assuming the high office of Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government last Friday.
Every Ghanaian must be proud of that achievement and wish President Mahama well in his additional role of spearheading economic integration in the next one year.
Since it is said “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”, President Mahama is aware of the challenges inherent in the confidence reposed in him by his colleague heads of state.
In his acceptance speech last Saturday, he reminded his colleagues that the people of West Africa were counting on their leaders to serve them and that the leaders could not afford to fail the people.
He pledged to use his tenure to focus on peace and security, economic integration and infrastructural development in the sub-region.
Looking around the sub-region, the countries making up ECOWAS face serious challenges in making gains in these critical areas and others necessary for the total development of the sub-region.
In the sub-region, quite a sizable number of countries are engaged in conflicts or are building from the ashes of war. Mali is a typical example where the new chair of ECOWAS must focus his energies on to consolidate the peace process there.
Also, the new threat Boko Haram poses to Nigeria and the sub-region must be dealt with and big brother President Goodluck Jonathan will count on the leadership of President Mahama to break the back of the terrorist group.
The sub-region is also faced with infrastructural deficit, with roads linking member states being in quite deplorable conditions, although ECOWAS has, for many years, committed to a super highway.
Mr President and new Chair of ECOWAS, the Daily Graphic reminds you of the key objective of ECOWAS — to build a common market that can make the entire sub-region competitive on the global stage.
Individually, most West African states will not be able to compete on the global stage, looking at the population and markets of the countries, apart from Nigeria.
When General Gowon and General Eyadema conceived the idea of ECOWAS in 1975, they were looking at the sub-region as one big market where the free movement of goods and people will enhance trade and the economy of all the countries. When the 250 million or so population of the sub-region pool their resources, they will be a force to reckon with in the globalised world.
Almost 40 years on, we are far away from achieving economic integration that will improve the economy of member states and, by extension, the people in the sub-region.
It is our expectation that President Mahama will rely on his predecessor, President Alhassane Ouatarra, to consolidate the gains so far chalked up.
Mr Mahama is aware that the task is daunting, with a heavy responsibility that requires extra hard work to attain the objectives and fulfil the pledges he has made to the good people of the sub-region.
Luckily for him, our first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, demonstrated many years ago that as a people, we have the ability and capability to change our destiny for the better.
We plead with him to lead the rest of the sub-region and the continent to prove Nkrumah’s dictum that “The Blackman is capable of managing his own affairs.”
Mr President and ECOWAS Chair, you would have your name written in the sands of history if you move economic integration beyond the rhetorics of the heads of state to the borders of the countries where the protocol on the free movement of goods and services will become a reality instead of the mirage.
In spite of the challenges in the sub-region, coupled with domestic problems, President Mahama will overcome the herculean task to make history as one of the most successful chairmen of the sub-regional body if he constantly keeps his eyes on the objectives of ECOWAS.
