By John Ikani
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to apply further financial penalties on the Niger Republic.
The directive was communicated by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, during an engaging session with State House Journalists on Tuesday.
The President’s instruction entails the imposition of fresh financial penalties on entities, including individuals, engaged in transactions with the Niger Republic.
While he refrained from disclosing the specifics of these sanctions, Ngelale said the sanctions were a collective regional decision rather than a strictly Nigerian mandate and ultimatum.
“The ultimatum given to the military Junta in Niger Public is not solely a Nigerian mandate. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who serves as the Chairman of ECOWAS, aims to underscore this crucial point.”
He clarified that the ECOWAS position, including the ultimatum to the military junta, is the consensus stance of all member heads of state.
Ngelale went on to note that President Tinubu’s consultation efforts extended both internationally and domestically, including discussions with Nigerian state governors overseeing regions adjacent to Niger Republic.
He underscored that the ECOWAS response to the Niger coup is devoid of any ethnic or religious biases. ECOWAS, as a regional bloc, reflects the diverse composition of its member states, representing various ethnic and religious groups.
Highlighting future steps, Ngelale pointed to the upcoming ECOWAS extraordinary Summit scheduled for Thursday, August 10, in Abuja.
He hinted that pivotal decisions regarding the regional bloc’s next course of action can be expected from the summit.
It is worth noting that previous sanctions imposed on Niger Republic by Nigeria include cut of electricity supplies, closure of land borders, a halt of all financial transactions, among other sanctions.
