Lawmakers in the West African sub-region, operating under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, have made an appeal to the heads of state and government in the region to lift the sanctions imposed on the Niger Republic.
Last July, the heads of state in ECOWAS imposed sanctions on the Niger Republic in protest against the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum by certain military officers led by former Presidential Guard commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
These sanctions included the suspension of all commercial transactions with Niger, the freezing of its state assets in the regional central bank, freezing state and state enterprises’ assets in commercial banks, and the suspension of financial assistance with regional development banks.
The ECOWAS sanctions also led to Nigeria cutting off power supply to the country on the 80-megawatt Birnin-Kebbi line, while Ivory Coast suspended imports and exports of Nigerien goods.
Speaking to journalists, Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South and also the Senate Chief Whip in the Tenth Senate, highlighted that seven states in Nigeria bordering the Niger Republic are adversely affected by these sanctions.
Ndume emphasised, “Children and women have been exposed to untold hardship. No meaningful progress has been made in resolving this issue.
We are appealing to ECOWAS states to lift the sanction and open the closed border between Niger and Nigeria because it is the poor that are suffering.
Let me say this is a collective decision by concerned citizens.
He added, “This Press conference is simply an appeal to the ECOWAS Heads of State to consider the humanitarian situation and resolve the political impasse in Niger. ”
Further details to follow later…
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