ECOWAS’ position on Niger is not dictated by France – Amb Tuggar

Nigeria's Foreign Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Abubakar Tuggar, has said that the decision taken by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the coup in Niger Republic earlier this year is not dictated by France.

During an interview with Daily Trust, Tuggar stated that the reason for the creation of ECOWAS is regional integration, harmony, peace and overall security of the region and the organization always works in accordance with its mandate.

When asked if ECOWAS and Nigeria are trying to fulfill the offer perhaps from France, the USA and all those international benefactors who would not put their troops at risk, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said;

“When have you ever seen Nigeria do a bidding to an outside power? This is one country; you can't even try to do that. The government is not exclusive to the rest of the country. So when you are talking about foreign countries, politics, It's a completely different area.

Foreign policy is formulated based on the aggregation of a country's position and is not limited to the leader of the moment, not limited to the government, but to the country as a whole.

You're talking about interest groups, you're talking about academics, you're even talking about the population, the business community and so on. Let's not reduce it to just one individual or just one government.

I don't see the connection, this is just playing into the hands of the propagandists who have decided, to stay in power, to support themselves, to label anyone they know as a dummy approach.

If we do not support what we have done, then we are following France's orders, and Nigeria has never been like that. You're talking about a nation that nationalized Shell, you and I are old enough to know that Shell is British Petroleum.”

Source: www.lindaikejisblog.com