Regional unity, a panacea to terrorism, Buhari tells ECOWAS

President Muhammadu Buhari at the 48th ordinary session of the authority of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has challenged the regional member states to accelerate the implementation of various joint initiatives to combat terrorism.

The President, while speaking at the opening ceremony of the session of the authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government held in Abuja, noted that, regional unity would be effectual in the combat against terrorism, piracy and arms trafficking.

Notably, according to him, security challenges persist in the region as it continues to be confronted with the daunting scourge of transnational organised crime including arms trafficking, drug trafficking, as well as piracy and criminality at sea.

He noted that, the rising scourge of violent extremism and terrorism was becoming worrisome for the West African states, as all these constitute serious threats to peace and security in the region, as such urgent and concerted actions were needed.

Calling for an enhancement on the system of governance in the region and accelerating the implementation of joint initiatives and mechanisms created to address these daunting but not insurmountable risks, President Buhari affirmed the necessity for a regional and indeed global solidarity, as it was vital in the efforts to counter these threats.

Furthermore, he bemoaned the catastrophic consequences of climate change, which he said were manifest in the region, pointing out that ECOWAS alone could not reverse or stop these consequences, as it required huge investment of resources far beyond its capabilities.

“A number of fragilities, conflicts and environmental degradation that affect our countries today with serious negative impact on peace, security, economy and livelihoods are either directly or indirectly triggered by climate change.

“Alone, we will not be able to reverse or stop some of these consequences, as they require huge investment of resources far beyond our capabilities”, he said.