The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, has announced the imposition of financial sanctions against individuals associating and collaborating with the military junta in the Niger Republic.
The Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, told state house correspondents on Tuesday that the ECOWAS chairman, Tinubu had directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to implement the financial sanctions on those concerned in accordance with the ECOWAS protocol.
Ngelale said, “I can report that following the expiration of the deadline of the ultimatum and standing on the pre-existing consensus position of financial sanctions meted out on the military junta in Niger Republic by the bloc of ECOWAS Heads of State."
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an additional slew of financial sanctions through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on entities and individuals related to or involved with the military junta in Niger Republic,’’ he said.
On the deadline given to the junta on Sunday, Ngelale decried the media reports linking the decision of the ECOWAS to the person of the Nigerian leader.
He said, “Concerning the ultimatum given to the military Junta in Niger Public, the ECOWAS mandate and ultimatum is not a Nigerian ultimatum.
“The office of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the Chairman of ECOWAS, seeks to emphasise this point.
“Certain domestic and international media coverage tend towards personalisation of the ECOWAS sub-regional position to his person and to our nation individually.
“It is because of this that Mr president has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum issued ECOWAS is that of ECOWAS’s position.”