In a move aimed at humiliating Nigeria and diminishing its influence in the West African Sub region, Morocco a northern African country has been admitted as a member of ECOWAS.
President Buhari's uncolourful foreign policy has contributed to the lowering of the image of the country as he has refused to pay Nigeria's financial responsibility to the sub regional organization which currently stands at about $700,000.
With Morocco as member of ECOWAS, the strategic place of Nigeria in West Africa as a Big Brother can no longer be guaranteed.
President Buhari had declared his support for Western Sahara which is pursing independence from Morocco, saying that Nigeria would ensure the realization of their self determination.
Without considering the of import of what he was saying and the support he was pledging , he boasted that he will ensure the secession of Western Sahara from Morocco would be pursued in full recognition of the several extant resolutions of the African Union, AU, on the right of the Sahrawi people for self-determination.
In a ratialatory move,the North African country applied to join ECOWAS as a strategic political game aimed at checkmating Nigeria's influence in the Sub region and Africa. It is also believed that such move will neutralize the influence Nigeria may have in the actualization of the Western Sahara nation in Africa.
To finalize Morroco's membership of ECOWAS, the parliament of each of the member state is expected to rectify its inclusion. That may not be a problem as most member nations approve of it apart from Nigeria.
No one can tell if Nigeria will succeed in lobbying other member nations against the rectification of Morroco's membership of ECOWAS.
However, Members of the Committee of Retired Diplomats have threatened to mobilise Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to begin protest against inclusion of Morocco in ECOWAS.
President of Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), Prof. Shuaibu A. Ibrahim, who made the assertion Morocco's inclusion, "permission and recognition would not be healthy for ECOWAS and others.”
But he failed to state what makes it unhealthy apart from his argument that “Can America accept Nigeria in its regional organisations? This means there is a failure in our foreign policy as far as the proposal is concerned. We are going to take legal action against ECOWAS.”
Mr.lbrahim didn't state what Nigeria Labour Congress and Civil Society Organizations stand to loose by mobilizing against Morocco's inclusion in ECOWAS and why they should even get involved in a matter that does not concern or affect them.
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