Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has called on West African leaders to put aside blame and focus on fixing the mistakes that have weakened the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Speaking at a Republic Day lecture in Ghana on Thursday, July 3, Obasanjo said the regional bloc’s survival depends on unity and decisive action from its member states.
The lecture, themed “ECOWAS and its Survival – Impact of the Alliance of the Sahelian States and Way Forward,” was organised by the One Ghana Movement and the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
“We do not need to go back to the drawing board, we have all we need for a bouncing, thriving and the best regional economic community organization in the world,” he stated, stressing, “Let us correct the errors of the past without blame game.”
Obasanjo further urged leaders to address grievances of the breakaway Alliance of Sahel States and rebuild trust across the region.
“We live in a common house and we should mend the house together for our common good. Living in silos makes us weak and exposed,” he said.
He stressed that West Africa’s future prosperity lies in a revitalised ECOWAS that embraces shared values and collective responsibility.
