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West Africa has paid glowing tribute to 15 former Heads of State, including the late General I.K. Acheampong of Ghana, who led the formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) four decades ago.

At a gathering in Abuja, Nigeria, yestersday to mark 40 years of the formation of the regional bloc, speaker after another hailed the vision of the founding fathers for spearheading the birth of the progressive regional body.

The other founders included Lt Col Mathieu Kereku, former head of state of Dahomey (now Benin); Gen. Sangoula Lamizana, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso); Mr Felix Houghet Boigny, Cote d'Ivoire: Sir Dauda Jawara, The Gambia; Mr Ahmed Sekou Toure, Guinea; Dr Luis De Alimeides Cabral, Guinea Bissau, and Dr William R. Tolbert, Liberia.

The rest were Mr Moctar Ould Daddah, Mauritania; Moussa Traore, Mali; Lt Col Senyi Kountche, Niger; Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria; Mr Leopold Senghor, Senegal; Dr Siaka Stephens, Sierra Leone and Gen.

Only one of the founder members, Nigeria's Gen. Gowon, was present at the anniversary. Many of them had died while the few others living could not make it to the event due to old age.

Formation

In 1975, Gen. Eyadema and Gen. Gowon spearheaded the drive to consolidate various agreements in Francophone and Anglophone West Africa with the view to forming an economic bloc for the sub-region.

It led to the signing of the ECOWAS Treaty (Treaty of Lagos) on May 25, 1975 by the 15 heads of state.

President John Dramani Mahama and the other current Presidents in West Africa were present at the anniversary celebration.

A documentary on the formation of the ECOWAS was screened at the ceremony, which was also attended by the International community and traditional leaders in Nigeria, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar.

Gowon elated

In a speech that attracted a standing ovation, Gen. Gowon said the biggest morale booster for the ECOWAS today was the immense practical social, economic and political benefits the people of the sub-region had derived from their union.

"Today, the old generation is meeting the new not with a view to reinventing the wheel but to consolidate on the gains of the past while being firmly focused on the future.”

"Today, we have many major protocols on democracy, on the judiciary and on the Parliament in addition to those on defence, security and free movement across West Africa. I endorse all that is being done with a view to meeting the objectives," he said.

Others speakers

The Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of heads of state and government, President Macky Sall, said the progress chalked up over the years gave credence to the objectives underpinning the formation of the ECOWAS.

He, however, said terrorism and other security issues remained major challenges, which must be confronted head-on.

In a welcome address, President Buhari stressed the need for the Ecowas to fast-track the integration process.

He said inadequate power remained a major setback to investment drive in the region and rallied his colleagues to find a way out.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Kadre Desire Ouedrago, said the regional group had weathered many storms since 1975 and it was now more appealing to the world.

There were also speeches from representatives of the UN Secretary General and the president of the European Union.