Following the election of Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), key players in the aviation sector have continued to set agenda for him that will positively impact connectivity through air transport in the region.
Describing ECOWAS as a noble body, the President, Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), Dr Alex Nwuba while citing many lingering policies that would have engendered seamless connectivity in the region, but sadly left unimplemented, identified article 4 of the ECOWAS that he said defines the 11 fundamental principles which he listed to include: equality and inter-dependence of member states, solidarity and collective self-reliance’ inter-state cooperation and harmonization of policies amongst others.
Focusing on article 32 which centers on transport and communications which seeks to ensure the harmonious integration of the physical infrastructures of member states of the ECOWAS and the promotion and facilitation of the movement of persons, goods and services within the community, Nwuba advised Tinubu as the ECOWAS’ Chairman to probably focus on addressing and achieving the objectives in Article 32 which he said will leave him a sold legacy.
While many Nigerians believe that the insincerity of many of the West African leaders may make the agenda of Tinubu for the ECOWAS states herculean to achieve in view of the unnecessary rivalry existing among the leaders, Nwuba however, called the attention of Tinubu to the importance of Article 32 which bothers on transport and communications and seeks to ensure the harmonious integration of the physical infrastructures of Member States and the promotion and facilitation of the movement of persons, goods and services within the Community.
“If President Tinubu merely addresses the requirements of Article 32, focuses on achieving the objectives of Article 35/36, he would have done a tremendous thing for Nigeria and West Africa and positioned both to benefit for the ACFTA and SAATM which is but a broadening of the ECOWAS principles.”
Article 32, Nwuba said, also among others, binds the ECOWAS states to formulate plans for the improvement and integration of railway and road networks in the region; formulate programmes for the improvement of coastal shipping services and inter-state inland waterways and the harmonization of policies on maritime transport and services; coordinate their positions in international negotiations in the area of maritime transport; encourage cooperation in flight-scheduling, leasing of aircraft and granting and joint use of fifth freedom rights to airlines of the region; promote the development of regional air transportation services and endeavour to bring about the merger of national airlines in order to promote their efficiency and profitability.
Facilitation of the development of human resources through the harmonization and coordination of their national training programmes and policies in the area of transportation in general and air transport in particular; endeavour to standardize equipment used in transport and communications and establish common facilities for production, maintenance and repair if implemented are also important for the success of ECOWAS.
“In the one year of President Tinubu’s Chairmanship, he should probably focus on addressing and achieving the objectives in Article 32 as it leaves him a sold legacy.
Article 32 which deals with the free movement of persons has been agreed to on the basis that any citizen of the community can live and work in any of the community states for a period of 90 days, we know this like most others are merely on paper.
“We have seen the dispute between two brother states, Nigeria and Ghana where Ghana has thrown up restrictions to establishing small business in the country by the use of indiscriminate capital requirements that cannot be met by small scale businessmen. These activities violate the terms of Article 35 and Article 36 which calls for Customs duties or other charges on Community originating imports to be eliminated; and Quota, quantitative or like restrictions or prohibitions and administrative obstacles to trade among the Member States also be removed.”
While citing how article 32 also requires that a common external tariff in respect of all goods imported into the Member States from third countries shall be established and maintained, Nwuba lamented how even the movement of goods within West Africa is a challenge, saying; “road transportation across states is fraught with corruption and criminality. There are roadblocks on the road that are established to collect more over short distances that add to the cost of road transportation making it unviable.
There is still the imposition of duties of goods made in the region which discourages regional trade. While and individual can travel in the entire region by road without a government ID, he is required to carry a passport by air, this should be reduced to any national or government ID as required within the community, we have seen Ghana implement the use of its own national ID at the airport, but this applies only to its own citizens.”
Stressing many factors militating against the implementation of the ECOWAS’s policies, Nwuba mentioned how it becomes simpler to travel by road but complicated by border and check point operations, he regretted that despite the fact that Article 32 calls for a regional airline to improve efficiency and profitability, countries within the region are pursuing their own national airlines.
His words: “It calls for coastal transportation, but nothing is happening in that space. It calls for rail and interstate highways, but we see no such activities, the story of the road between Mile 2 and Seme tell the story. These things achieved will improve the neighborliness and brotherliness that the region seeks to achieve while strengthening and improving the economies of countries in the region”.
Nwuba delves into Article 4 of the West African group which lists its eleven fundamental principles to include: equality and inter-dependence of Member States, solidarity and collective self-reliance, inter-State cooperation, harmonization of policies and integration of programmes and non-aggression between Member States.
Listing the principles as the major principles that are binding the countries under ECOWAS together, Nwuba identified maintenance of regional peace, stability and security through the promotion and strengthening of good neighbourliness, peaceful settlement of disputes among Member States, active cooperation between neighbouring countries and promotion of a peaceful environment as a prerequisite for economic development recognition promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights in accordance with the provisions of the African Charter on Human amongst others as parts of the eleven principles of ECOWAS.
“Peoples’ Rights, accountability, economic and social justice and popular participation in development, recognition and observance of the rules and principles of the Community; promotion and consolidation of a democratic system of governance in each Member State as envisaged by the Declaration of Political Principles adopted in Abuja on 6 July 1991; and equitable and just distribution of the costs and benefits of economic cooperation and integration”, are also part of the principleS.
He analyzed Article 32 which borders on transport and communications and seeks to ensure the harmonious integration of the physical infrastructures of Member States and the promotion and facilitation of the movement of persons, goods and services within the Community, sets forth members of the community will evolve common transport and communications policies, laws and regulations; develop an extensive network of all-weather highways within the Community, priority being given to the inter-State highways.
Article 32 also binds the ECOWAS states to formulate plans for the improvement and integration of railway and road networks in the region; formulate programmes for the improvement of coastal shipping services and inter-state inland waterways and the harmonization of policies on maritime transport and services; coordinate their positions in international negotiations in the area of maritime transport; encourage cooperation in flight-scheduling, leasing of aircraft and granting and joint use of fifth freedom rights to airlines of the region; promote the development of regional air transportation services and endeavour to bring about the merger of national airlines in order to promote their efficiency and profitability.
Facilitation of the development of human resources through the harmonization and coordination of their national training programmes and policies in the area of transportation in general and air transport in particular; endeavour to standardize equipment used in transport and communications and establish common facilities for production, maintenance and repair if implemented are also important for the success of ECOWAS.
