ECOWAS President, Ambassador Kadre Desire Ouedraogo.

Chuks Okocha

ECOWAS President, Ambassador Kadre Quedraogo, has said that the support of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, are critical to achieving peace on the African continent.
PDP is the largest political party in the sub-Saharan Africa and Tukur is the President of the African Business Roundtable.

Quedraogo disclosed this Monday when the PDP National Chairman paid him a courtesy call.

He added that Tukur’s support in his personal capacity was also needed in ensuring the integration of the people within the sub-region.

“As Chairman African Business Roundtable and in his capacity as the Chairman of the leading political party in Africa, we count on his support to realise ECOWAS objectives of peace and stability within our region.

“We agreed to work hand in hand to bring about a peaceful and stable region so that our people can go about their businesses.

“We need to have free movement of goods and persons within our region and we will also need to count on his support so that we would attain the objectives of ECOWAS in that area.’’ Quedraogo said.

He thanked Tukur for his vision and role in ensuring the development of Africa and the sub-region particularly as the Chairman African Business Roundtable and the focal point of NEPAD. He added that the commission would utilise  the 600million euro earmarked for West African region by the European Union on developing projects that would positively affect the lives of the people.

He said that only five percent of the money was used in the past year stressing that the commission would utilize the rest of the money on infrastructure, agriculture and social development.

``I am very happy that we have come to an agreement with the European Union on the development of those projects.’’ Quedraogo said.

Tukur in his earlier remark said that as the chairman of the biggest political party in Africa that he deemed it important to familiarise himself with the ECOWAS President and to discuss issues affecting the region.

He said that he used the opportunity of the visit to discuss issues of peace, security and development of the continent with the ECOWAS President.

Speaking on the outcome of the just concluded Edo Governorship election, Tukur said that it was an example of true democracy where the people are allowed to make their choices freely.

He said that the election showed that Nigeria`s democracy had deepen adding that; “this is democracy it means allowing people to express their wish.’’