By Linus Aleke, Abuja
A member of Nigerian delegation to the Community Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States, otherwise known as ECOWAS Parliament, Sen. Ali Ndume, has expressed optimism that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will soon return back to the regional economic bloc.
He also revealed that the break away countries, who were protesting hash and strangulating sanctions imposed on it by the economic bloc have decided to rescind their decision to leave ECOWAS.
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Sen. Ndume, expressed this optimism, while fielding questions from newsmen, at the sideline of the ongoing Second Extraordinary Session of ECOWAS Parliament in Kano State.
The ECOWAS MP, also said that the countries time out is surely over now, as all that which is needed to bring them back into the fold is now in place.
Senator Ndume, who is the Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, noted that the bad blood which led to the decision of the three countries to leave the bloc has since been drained and Niger is no longer annoyed with sister West African countries especially Nigeria.
He revealed that Niger, from all indications is ready to come back to the fold.
He said: “The bad blood which led to the decision to leave has since been drained and Niger is no longer annoyed with sister West African countries especially Nigeria and as such the country from all indications is ready to come back. The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government led by President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria lifted the restrictions and bans; it is now left to the three countries to reciprocate. The Parliament is playing its role as I told you; we had an ad hoc committee even from the previous parliament looking into this issue and we are receiving positive results. I am personally involved and there is hope and very soon we will get back together as we are at the process of resolving it”.
The Nigerian MP, further noted that the decision to leave the bloc if it could be recalled was made after the coup in Niger was condemned by all ECOWAS member states, and sanctions were imposed on the country.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso had in January this year announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS as a direct reaction to their early suspension from the regional bloc for coup d’état and pressure to return to democratic rule.
The trio had during a public announcement of their pulling out of the bloc, said they took the “sovereign decision” to withdraw from the regional bloc for the good of their people.
The military junta in Mali took over power in August 2020 while soldiers in Burkina Faso overthrew democratic government in September 2022.
Soldiers in Niger Republic in July 2023 sacked the democratic government in the country, forcing the authority of ECOWAS to impose sanctions on the three countries.
