Commentary On Just-Ended ECOWAS Summit

NEWS COMMENTARY ON  THE  JUST-ENDED 45TH  ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT IN ACCRA  
 
The 45th ordinary session of ECOWAS Heads of state and government has ended in Accra with a communique which among other things approved the
signing of the EPA with the EU. 

The one-day summit discussed security issues, the threat of the Ebola disease, a recommendation for the
introduction of biometric ID cards for all ECOWAS citizens and the abolition of residence permit requirements for citizens within member states, as well as trade and economic integration. Security in the West African sub-region is of paramount importance and should not be
compromised under any circumstances because of its rippling effects.

The threat to life, peace, security and development in Nigeria and other parts of West-Africa as a result of the activities of Boko Haram
is a matter that needs urgent attention and measures are put in place to tackle it before it gets out of hand. 

It must be stressed that poverty reduction and the promotion of fair and sustainable development, including democracy, human rights, political pluralism
and respect for the principles of the rule of law, provide the best
foundation in the long term for peace, security and stability.  

There is no doubt that the introduction of the ECOWAS common biometric ID cards will enhance the free movement of people and goods across West Africa and lead to the enjoyment of the opportunities opening up in
member states, thereby giving practical meaning to economic
integration. 

However, political science experts have argued that the
decision was rather too ambitious and wondered what had happened to
other protocols on the free movement of goods and services. 

It is imperative  that  its implementation is  carried out with a lot circumspection to prevent people with criminal intent from taking advantage of the situation. 

In this connection, one area that should be of great concern to ECOWAS is the authentic verification of the proposed biometric cards. The verification features should make it easy for identification anytime and anywhere in the sub-region so as
not to compromise security since the abolition of resident permits
could cause an influx of citizens from some ECOWAS countries into
others. 

Towards this end, adequate resources would have to be made
available to the biometric cards verification enforcement agencies in the sub-region for effective monitoring.  

The threat posed by the
Ebola virus was also top of the agenda. The fund set up to combat the menace is a step in the right direction and ECOWAS members must
immediately work out a formula for contribution to the fund so that financial resources would be readily available to combat the disease.

The threat is very serious because within days of attack  patients are  most likely to lose their  lives. In fact, since the outbreak of the disease, over 500 people have lost their lives and this shows that nothing should be left  to chance. 

It is important for member states
to set up early warning systems that can easily identify and deal with the virus before it spreads. This also calls for the intensification of preventive measures  aimed at fighting the disease. 

The ECOWAS summit has ended  but all decisions taken must not be made to rest on the shelves. The decisions should be effectively implemented to make the sub-region more peaceful, business-friendly, expedite the movement of people and, above all, guarantee peace and security for all citizens of the ECOWAS Community.

BY KOFI AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO, HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, GHANA STANDARDS AUTHORITY