TAYO ELEGBEDE
All roads from the presidential villa to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport have been blocked in preparation for easy movement by the entourage of President Muhammadu Buhari who departs Abuja today for Niamey, Niger Republic.
President Buhari is participating in the 57th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government that is holding in the country.
The roads are all closed from 7.15 am while the usual security by armed policemen is seen from the villa through to the airport.
Motorists on the lane to exit Abuja and runs to Gwagwalada/Airport are seen stuck on the road as armed policemen fired into the air at Lugbe to warn people from crossing or driving on the road.
The one-day summit at Niamey, Niger will deliberate on the Special Report on COVID-19 to be presented by President Buhari who was appointed the ECOWAS Champion on the Fight against COVID-19 during the Extraordinary Virtual Summit of ECOWAS on April 23, 2020.
In a statement on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu, President Buhari will coordinate the sub-regional response against the pandemic.
The statement reads, “In furtherance of that objective, under the supervision of the Champion, Nigerian Ministers of Health, Aviation and Finance were appointed Chairpersons of the Ministerial Coordination Committees on Health; Transport, Logistics and Trade; and Finance respectively.
“The Summit will also receive a Special Report on the ECOWAS Single Currency Programme to be presented by President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), and President Alassane Ouattara, who is Chair of the West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU/UEMOA).
“The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean Claude Kassi Brou will present to the West African leaders, the 2020 Interim Report on activities of the sub-regional body including ECOWAS Vision 2050.”
The ECOWAS Summit, Shehu stated, will also examine the alarming rise in incidents of terrorism, insurgency, armed banditry and piracy as well as the disruption of democratic process by the military in Mali.
President Buhari will be accompanied to the Summit by ministers and other top government officials.
He is expected to return to Abuja after the meeting.
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