Security Consultant, Aliyu Gebi Sets Agenda For Tinubu As New ECOWAS Chairman

Immediately after the emergence of Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu as the New ECOWAS Chairman, Hon. Aliyu Gebi a renowned security expert and the National Coordinator, Security Governance Initiative (SGI) in a series of tweets on his official handle (@alouibrahim92) has tasked President Tinubu to hit the ground running as the new helmsman at ECOWAS.

His tweet reads: “Now is the time to revisit some of the ECOWAS Protocols especially the one about Free Movement of Peoples, Goods and Service. Also the Protocol on Transhumance as well ask why Nigerians are treated rather poorly in some ECOWAS States.

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“We as a nation, must re-examine our relationship with our neighbors & articulate a clear policy of engagement from Security to the Economy and the general political stability of the Region. An unstable Sahel makes for an insecure Nigeria. A secure Nigeria means a prosperous Sahel.

“Now should also be the time to start moving from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of Peoples. Also it is pertinent for the Political Bloc to begin to look towards the Harmonization of National Security Strategies into a solid, stable and comprehensive Regional Security Strategy.

“The financial burden that Nigeria shoulders for and on behalf of ECOWAS member states, should be reflected in our National Foreign Policy and must be reflected in our presence in the sub-continent.

“Also our migration policies must be re-examined and citizenship of the ECOWAS region not only clearly articulated, defined, adopted and implemented, but also ratified and reinforced by National parliaments so as to ensure equity across the board.”

“Finally, now is the time for the ECOWAS Parliament to move from a ‘ceremonial’ one to a fully functioning one with oversight functions over the ECOWAS Commission. Thereby Membership of the Parliament becomes by universal suffrage not by secondment from National parliaments.”