By Nneka Nwogwugwu, Abuja
The Republic of Senegal has been nominated as the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) candidate to chair the African Union for the 2022 – 2023 period.
This was made known in an Extraordinary Session attended by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on 2 February 2021 via videoconference.
ECOWAS further instructed the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, to take the necessary steps to immediately notify the African Union Commission of the nomination.
According to the communique released after the session and made available to newsmen on Wednesday by ECOWAS Director of Communications, Arthur Obayuwana, Brou will also propose for adoption at the next Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
This will serve as a clear mechanism for the rotation of candidatures to ensure that each Member State has a legitimate opportunity to chair the Assembly of the African Union.
Addressing the endorsement of Member States’ applications for international positions, the Authority agreed on the order of priority of the Commissioner positions for which ECOWAS nationals are still standing for election by the Assembly of the African Union and made the necessary arbitrations between Member States putting forward candidates for the same position.
The authority of ECOWAS also agreed to prioritise support for the candidature of Nigeria to the post of Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
The Summit also decided that the second Commissioner position to be allocated to the West Africa Region will be filled by Burkina Faso, taking into account the gender parity.
On the implementation of ECOWAS institutional reform, the communique stated, “ The Authority reiterates its commitment to the objectives of improved performance and operational efficiency that underpin the institutional reform process, in order to promote the implementation of integration programmes geared towards the economic and social development of the region.
“ The Authority welcomes the status of implementation of the ECOWAS institutional reform, particularly with regard to enhanced financial management and internal control of the Institutions.
“The Authority notes that the tenure of the current statutory appointees comes to an end in February 2022, and that there is a need to discuss the optimal structure of the new Commission and the other Institutions, modalities for allocation of statutory positions, as well as efforts to streamline ECOWAS operating costs.
“ To this end, the Authority calls on H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo, President of the Republic of Ghana, with the support of the Ministerial Ad hoc Committee on Institutional Reform, to lead reflection on the issue.
“ A Report on this point will be submitted to the Ordinary Session of the Authority to be held in June 2021. To that effect, a general consensus emerged from the Heads of State and Government that H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo continue for a second term as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority to oversee the implementation of the Reform.”
The session was chaired by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of
Ghana, and Chair of the Authority, in preparation for the 34th ordinary
Session of the Assembly of the African Union on the election of the new
management team of the African Union Commission.
Also present at the summit, include: Roch Marc Christian Kabore, President of Burkina Faso, Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca, President of the Republic of Cabo Verde and Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Congo.