The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has imposed penalties on persons who have collaborated with the Niger Republic’s military junta.
On Tuesday, the regional body’s leadership decided to apply financial sanctions on persons and businesses suspected of assisting the Francophone country’s military junta.
President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, informed state house correspondents that the ECOWAS chairman has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to impose financial sanctions on individuals involved.
The presidential spokesperson did not explain the punishments, nor did he divulge the names of those who will be affected.
“Mr President has directed the acting CBN governor to levy another slate of sanctions against entities and individuals associated with the military junta in Niger public,” he said.
“I said that intentionally I didn’t make a mistake, because I was given permission to make that statement and I emphasised that this is not an individual action taken by an individual president on behalf of an individual nation.
“This is an action taken yes, by the ECOWAS chairman who is the president of Nigeria, but standing on the authority provided by the consensus resolution of all ECOWAS members and heads of state with regard to financial sanctions being levied by ECOWAS members states against the military junta in Niger Republic.
“There is an authority that we are standing on. It is not the Nigerian government’s authority, it is the authority of the resolution passed in public before now.”
Ngelale said the seven-day ultimatum issued against the military junta is not a personal decision taken by Tinubu but that of ECOWAS.
“Concerning the ultimatum given to the military Junta in Niger Republic, it is an ECOWAS mandate, and it is not a Nigerian ultimatum. It is not a Nigerian mandate,” he said.
“And the office of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the chairman of ECOWAS, to emphasise this point, that due to certain domestic and international media coverage, tending toward personalisation of the ECOWAS sub-regional position to his person and to our nation individually.
“It is because of this that Mr President has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum issued by ECOWAS is that of ECOWAS’ position.”
