Amidst the most difficult and complicated challenges ever to confront the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the bloc has just chosen a new chairman, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone. The bloc is facing challenges emanating from the rising violence, economic difficulties and the departure of some of the member states.
The new Chairman, President Maada Bio promised to prioritise democracy, security cooperation, economic integration and institutional credibility. This was made in a statement issued shortly after his being chosen as the new chair taking over from President Tinubu of Nigeria.
The new chairman said that the bloc is still confronting insecurity in the Sahel and coastal states, terrorism, political instability; illicit arms flow and transnational organised crimes continue to test the resilience of our nations and the effectiveness of our institutions.
These are some of the challenges the new leadership is supposed to tackle. It is however true that the most complex challenge is the fact that at least three member states have withdrawn from the bloc. It will be hard to see how the new Chair and his team wish to go about trying to convince these three states to return to the fold.
Perhaps the other challenge which should be treated as urgent is the loss of faith of the people in the subregion. Due to these and other challenges, many people now consider Ecowas to be a toothless bulldog. They must therefore work hard to regain the trust of the people of the region if they are to make any headway in their aims and objectives.
It is also important to note that the bloc has a lot of work to do in ensuring that the protocols on free movement of people and goods are not just on paper but a reality. They must work earnestly to make it an Ecowas of people and not just of states. This is the big challenge that they must rise to.
