ECOWAS: Lawyer calls on Nigeria, others to reject Morocco’s bid

Constitutional lawyer and author, Sebastine Hon (SAN) has asked Nigeria to reject the application by Morocco to be admitted into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).  Hon, who described Morocco’s quest as “queer and very suspicious in its very nature and timing,” said the country is a Northern and not a West African […]

Constitutional lawyer and author, Sebastine Hon (SAN) has asked Nigeria to reject the application by Morocco to be admitted into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 

Hon, who described Morocco’s quest as “queer and very suspicious in its very nature and timing,” said the country is a Northern and not a West African country based on the Resolution No: CM/Res.464 (XXVI) by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now African Union (AU) on March 1, 1976. 

In a statement recently, Hon rejected the announcement on BBC by the President of Ivory Coast, Alasanne Quattara that Morocco’s bid for membership of the ECOWAS had been agreed upon in principle and that it, together with Tunisia which is seeking observer status with the commission. 

He said following AU’s division of Africa into five geo-political regions, ECOWAS remains a West African regional organization, adding that the admission of both Morocco and Tunisia amounts to admitting Brazil and Argentina into the North American regional bloc. 

“There is nowhere in the Revised ECOWAS Treaty where power or mandate to grant observer status or permanent membership to any country which does not fall within the ECOWAS Sub Region is donated,” he said. 

“Any decision of that Body, including granting observer or permanent status to any country, in so far as it does not agree with its Treaty will, therefore, be null and void. The ECOWAS leadership should, therefore, reverse its decisions on Morocco and Tunisia,” he added.