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ECOWAS member-states agree to push for reform in regional bloc

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Ten out of the 15 ECOWAS member-states have agreed to push for reforms in the regional bloc including the reduction of the number of commissioners from fifteen to seven or nine.

Ghana’s foreign minister, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, explained that the reforms, which include a reduction in operational cost of the annual budget of ECOWAS by 44 million dollars will promote effectiveness and efficiency of the regional bloc.

This came up during a virtual extra ordinary session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.

On February 2, 2021 ECOWAS Heads of State and Government at an Extraordinary Session repeated their commitment to reforms of the regional bloc.

This is in line with international best practices and ensure improved performance and operational efficiency, for the region’s economic and social development.

To achieve this task, ECOWAS tasked President Akufo-Addo, who is also the Chairman of the regional bloc to lead reflection on the ongoing ECOWAS reforms with the support of the Adhoc Ministerial Committee on Institutional Reform.

The latest virtual ECOWAS extra ordinary session of the Council of Ministers on institutional reforms comes on the heels of dwindling economic and financial resources due to difficulty in recovering community levies and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ghana’s foreign minister, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who is also the chairperson of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, urged member-states of the bloc to make decisive recommendations to inure to the benefit of the community.

After the ECOWAS Council of Minister’s virtual session, majority of the member states were of the view that the reforms are crucial to improving the lot of the regional bloc.

However, the agreement reached is subject to approval by Heads of State at an Accra summit on June, 19, 2021.

Meanwhile, Ghana has once again appealed to ECOWAS member-states to vote for her candidature for the UN Security Council Non- Permanent Seat on Friday, June 11, 2021.

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