Let us work together against poverty, injustice and bad governance – ECOWAS President

The newly appointed President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Mr Kadre Desire Ouedraogo,has pledged to contribute his quota toward the attainment of the dreams of the Organization’s founding fathers by making West Africa a leading power for the realization of Africa’s unity.

“Let us work together against poverty, injustice and bad governance,” he said during a brief ceremony to introduce him to staff at the Commission’s Abuja Headquarters. “Let us work hard to build a community which all of us shall be proud of.”

A statement from the Commission copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday said Mr Ouedraogo urged West African youths in particular to share his “enthusiasm and hope for the future of ECOWAS and indeed, the brilliant future of Africa,” stressing that “ECOWAS must be a land of peace, unity and progress.”

He paid glowing tribute to the founding fathers of ECOWAS and those who sacrificed their lives to building the Community over the past 37 years of its existence.

The statement said Mr Ouedraogo specifically, expressed gratitude to the government and people of Nigeria, and President Goodluck Jonathan, the immediate past Chairman of the ECOWAS, Authority of Heads of State and Government, for the warm welcome and support extended to him.

He also commended the outgoing President of the Commission, Mr James Victor Gbeho and his predecessor, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, for the “wonderful job they have done for ECOWAS and its institutions.”

Mr Ouedraogo, a former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, who served as Deputy Executive Secretary of ECOWAS between 1985 and 1993, equally commended ECOWAS leaders for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to do his best.

He called for the total cooperation of the Commission’s new team to enable the organization deliver on its mandate and objectives.

Mr Gbeho said the assumption of duty by the new management team marked a new stage in the life of ECOWAS and welcomed his successor while urging the Commission’s staff to extend to the new management team the same level of cooperation or even more than he and his team enjoyed.

Until his new appointment, Mr Ouedraogo who assumed his new post on 1st March, 2012, was his country’s Ambassador and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Belgium, The Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland as well as the country’s Permanent Representative to the European Union, the Organization for the prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and the World Customs Organization.

He was a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of West Africa States (BCEAO) in Dakar, Senegal between 1993 and 1996, and was elected a Member of Parliament in 1997.

In 1996, he received the award of Grand Officer in the National Order of Burkina Faso.