Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, on Thursday said the admission of Morocco into the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, will whittle down Nigeria’s influence in the sub-regional body, and by extension, the world.
Prof. Akinyemi in a staement, said the developemt was anti-Nigeria and according to him, the biggest challengge to Nigeria’s foreign policy since the civil war.
“Having failed to find any rational benefit to ECOWAS by expanding membership to Morocco, I can only conclude that the move is to whittle down Nigeria’s influence in ECOWAS.
“And by extension, in the world, as Nigeria’s status as a regional power is facilitated by its role in ECOWAS.
“Nigeria has only one option. Let the West African Heads of State and Presidents drop this whole issue of expansion to the Mediterranean,” the former Minister said.
Prof. Akinyemi also insisted that should the West African body go ahead with the admission, “Nigeria should serve notice that it would terminate, not suspend, but terminate her membership of ECOWAS.”
He was concerned that Morocco’s admission into ECOWAS would now make her benefit from the Arab League quota, as well as from the West African quota.
12 out of 15 Heads of State and Government of the Community had on June 4, at its 51st ordinary session in Monrovia, Liberia, gave their agreement in principle for Morocco’s ECOWAS membership, “in view of the strong and multidimensional ties it has with West Africa,” according to a publication on the West African body’s website.
Earlier at the meeting, Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé, was elected head the Community for a one year term, succeeding Liberian President, Mrs Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Meanwhile, the body will consider implications of Morocco’s admission and possible confirmation of its membership at the 52th ordinary session scheduled for December 2017 in Lome, Togo.
