The Federal Government has admonished the new President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Jean Claude Brou, who was formally inaugurated in an elaborate ceremony at the Headquarters of the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja on Thursday, to address the disturbing trend of human trafficking and other forms of crime in the sub- region.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Bukar Ibrahim, who represented the Government told the new ECOWAS President to mobilise his team to liaise with the institutions of member countries and tackle the challenges facing the region such as human trafficking in the Sahel region, especially in Libya, transhumance and the negative activities of cattle herders, poverty, among others.
Khadija Ibrahim expressed confidence that the Ivorian-born economist, will bring his expertise and wealth of experience to steer the ship of of the sub-regional organization for next four years and take the West African bloc nearer to the achievement of the goals of full economic integration of the region as envisaged by the founding fathers.
She assured the new ECOWAS boss and 17 other members of the team of the support of Nigeria’s federal government in the discharge of his responsibility even as she lauded the out-gone ECOWAS commission President, Marcel Alain Souza for his positive contributions while he was at the helm of affairs.
Souza in his speech had expressed appreciation to the Nigerian government and all others who contributed in so many ways to make his tenure very memorable.
Jean Claude Brou, in his remarks expressed gratitude to the West African Heads of State and Government for his appointment and pledged his commitment to the uplift of the subregion and to develop its potentials and amidst the enormous challenges facing the region.
Before his appointment as the president of the ECOWAS Commission during the 52nd Conference of Heads of State and government that took place in Abuja on December 15th and 16th, Jean Claude Brou has been the Minister of Industry and Mining of Cote d’ Ivoire since November 2012, (The Mining sector was added to his Department in July 2013).
He was also the World Bank’s Country Manager for Chad from from 2010-2012 among other distinguished positions he held.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
