ECOWAS Commission President, Brou, Hints on Targeting ECO Currency

ECOWAS Commission President, Brou (right) and President Muhammadu Buhari

ECOWAS Commission President, Brou, Hints on targeting ECO Currency

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Jean Claude Brou, has said he would work hard to achieve the single currency agenda for the countries under the Economic Community of West African States.

Also Read: Again, ECOWAS Single Currency Flops

Brou made this revelation on Friday when he was received at the Nigeria’s State House by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Brou said the ECOWAS single currency and restructuring of operations of the body formed priority issues for his administration, Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu said in a statement.

Meanwhile, President Buhari urged Brou to run a lean and smart organisation by cutting costs and becoming more efficient to achieve the objectives of the sub-regional body.

Buhari  also called on the member states of the organisation to pay their annual contributions as and when due.

President Buhari said a lot of work had already been done towards cutting running cost for which a committee had recommended the reduction of the number of commissioners, and a drastic reduction in the cost of keeping them in office.

“We must work towards limiting costs, keeping the number of statutory positions low and running the organisation more efficiently,” he said.  

The Nigerian leader, while welcoming the new President of the ECOWAS Commission to Abuja, pledged the full support of the government of Nigeria in ensuring that his tenure was successful.

According to President Buhari, “The task is enormous. The job is not easy, given the many challenges facing the sub-region, ranging from issues of security and that posed by the environment, including the shrinkage of the Lake Chad.”

He however, stressed the full commitment of Nigeria working with other ECOWAS member countries, towards finding lasting solution to the problems. 

Brou also presented a special message from the Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara to President Buhari and condoled him on the recent deaths of his family members.