The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament was, on Saturday, divided over how best to address the political impasse caused by the coup in Niger Republic.
\nWhile some members advocated actions that would stem military intrusion into governance within the region, others said dialogue and diplomacy were the best ways to solve the crisis.
\nThe positions were taken when the 22 parliamentarians held an extraordinary meeting, virtually, to discuss the Niger Republic impasse.
\nThe members, who were against military action, put forward the fate that could befall the masses if the country was invaded by forces trying to dislodge the coupists.
\nAli Djibo from Niger Republic said already no fewer than 9,000 schools have been shut since the crisis, adding that the best solution was dialogue and that military action had never been the best option anywhere in the world.
\nDjibo said: \u201cWar will only compound the economic woes the peoples of the sub-region are already going through.
\n\u201cAs we speak, over a thousand trucks, loaded with goods, are stranded at the border.
\n\u201cIf a coup happened in Nigeria or Cote\u2019d\u2019Iviore tomorrow, where\u2019s the ECOWAS going to mobilise troops to fight the Nigerian or Ivorian military? How many borders are we going to close?
\n\u201cWe must also bear in mind that if we\u2019re applying the ECOWAS treaty, it should be applicable to all.\u201d
\nFor Awaji-Inombek Abiante, ECOWAS must pay keen attention and treat the root causes of coup among its members.
\nHe said diplomacy must be used to resolve the problem.
\nMembers of the ECOWAS Parliament rooting for military solution to the Niger Republic matter argued that dialogue and diplomacy had not tamed the spread of coup in West Africa.
\nOne of them was Linda\u00a0Ikpeazu,\u00a0who said because there were no consequences in the past, especially in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, hence the Niger Republic situation.
\nShe stressed that with the current situation in the sub-region, nobody knows which country will be the next.
\nAdebayo Balogun, in his contribution, said ECOWAS Heads of States were not proposing a full scale war, but a military action to dislodge the junta.
\nHe recalled that Niger was a signatory to ECOWAS\u2019 revised protocol on non-military intervention.
\nAlso, Bashir Dawodu said he believed that while dialogue is being pursued, the body should be open to military option to put pressure on the coupists.
\nMeanwhile, he pointed out that those banking on Russia to defend the junta should know that Russia alone cannot do it.
\nTwo others, who spoke against military invasion of Niger Republic were Idris Wase and Ali Ndume.
\nWase, the first Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of ECOWAS, berated President Bola Tinubu, the ECOWAS Chairman.
\nHe accused the President of unilaterally closing the Nigerian-Niger border and cutting electricity without the approval of the Nigerian National Assembly.
\nWase added: \u201cWhen the Russia-Ukraine war started, people thought it was to be a sharp war.
\n\u201cA year after, the war is still lingering on with the attendant economic squander and wanton destruction of lives and properties.
\n\u201cThe sub-regional military chiefs know what they stand to benefit economically, that\u2019s why they\u2019re eager to militarily intervene in Niger. Most of them are corrupt.
\n\u201cAny war on Niger will have adverse effects on 60% of Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria.\u201d
\nOn his part, Senator Ndume said: \u201cWe are the representatives of the people. Whatever action that must be taken should be dependent on what our people want.
\n\u201cThe ECOWAS Chairman,\u00a0 President Tinubu, wrote the Nigerian Senate on the planned military intervention in Niger and the Red Chamber vehemently opposed the use of force. They prefer, instead, dialogue should be adopted in resolving the impasse.
\n\u201cPresident Tinubu has no right to close the Niger-Nigeria border, cut electricity without the approval of the Nigerian National Assembly.
\n\u201cIt is not the Niger junta that are suffering the sanctions, rather it is innocent people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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