The ECOWAS Parliament has made an impassioned appeal to the Heads of State and Government in the region, urging them to lift the sanctions that were imposed on Niger Republic.
Last July, the Heads of States of ECOWAS, headed by the newly sworn-in Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, placed sanctions on Niger Republic in response to the overthrow of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in a military coup orchestrated by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the former Presidential Guard Commander.
Following the opening session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Senator Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, emphasized the necessity of lifting the sanctions while addressing journalists. He highlighted the adverse impact of the sanctions on several Nigerian states that share a border with Niger Republic, stating that “children and women have been exposed to untold hardship.”
Senator Ndume also noted the lack of meaningful progress in resolving the issue since the imposition of the sanctions, and underscored the plea for the ECOWAS states to lift the sanctions and reopen the closed border between Niger and Nigeria. He emphasized that the adverse effects of the sanctions primarily affect the less privileged members of the society, stating that this call to action is a collective decision by concerned citizens.
