President Bola Tinubu has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to apply additional financial penalties on the Niger Republic in response to the deadline set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum.
Additionally, Tinubu gave the CBN instructions to apply these sanctions to senior Niger government officials who disregarded the ECOWAS demand.
To the dismay of ECOWAS leaders, who have warned to take probable military action against the coupists if democratic administration is not restored, Bazoum was toppled and detained by senior military officials in the country around two weeks ago.
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The most recent punishment by Nigeria, which is currently in charge of the Authority of ECOWAS presidents of state and government, was declared by Tinubu’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale.
Addressing State House correspondents in Abuja, Ngelale said 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 also debunked attempts by sections of the media to personalise the angst and sanctions against the military in Niger Republic, stressing that whatever action Nigeria has taken or takes falls under ECOWAS protocols and decisions, and not by unilateral fiat of Tinubu.
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According to Ngelale, “this is not an individual action taken by an individual President on behalf of an individual nation. This is an action taken by ECOWAS chairman, who is the president of Nigeria, but standing on the authority provided by the consensus resolution of all ECOWAS members and heads of state with regard to financial sanctions being levied by ECOWAS Member States against the military junta in Niger Republic.
“There is an authority that we are standing on. It is not the Nigerian government authority, it is the authority of the resolution passed in public before now.
“This is the context, the nuance and the detail that is required in our reports, lest our people be misinformed; and we begin to be framed internationally as being in a situation where it’s Nigeria versus its neighbour, Niger, because that’s the narrative that some certain international perspectives would like to advance for their own interest.”
He stressed that “the ECOWAS mandate, and ultimatum is not a Nigerian ultimatum. It is not a Nigerian mandate and the office of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the chairman of ECOWAS seeks to emphasize this point.”
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Ngelale added that Tinubu has recently expanded consultations domestically and internationally, including with state governors in Nigeria who oversee states bordering Niger Republic, on the various ramifications and outcomes of the situation there. This is especially true after the ECOWAS ultimatum’s expiration.
In addition, he declared that Nigeria will convene an extraordinary summit of the ECOWAS leaders on Thursday to decide what to do now that the deadline set for the military in the Niger Republic has passed last Sunday.
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