Nigeria has lost the post of the Commissioner for Finance and Administration of the Economic Community of West Africa States.SATURDAY PUNCHinvestigations showed that President Goodluck Jonathan acceded to the recommendations in the communiqu of the extraordinary session of the authority of Heads of State and Government, which allocated the CFA post to Sierra Leone because of the briefing he received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.The CFA post, considered the most influential and strategic in ECOWAS, after the president of the commission, was occupied by Nigeria until the country lost it to Sierra Leone at the October 18, 2011 meeting of the commission in Abuja.Nigeria, with a population of about 160m, constitutes 52.9 per cent of the total population of ECOWAS, and contributes 59.09 per cent of the funding of ECOWAS, while Sierra Leone, which was allocated the CFA post, contributes 0.7 per cent of the revenue of the commission.Those knowledgeable in foreign affairs matters contend that ceding the post to a smaller African country by Nigeria is inconsistent with the standard practice in international organisations, where the countries, which provide the bulk of the revenue, are given the privilege to occupy the strategic position of financial administration and control.SATURDAY PUNCHinvestigations showed that the leading fund contributing member-countries in international organisations in the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the West African Monetary Union, the South African Development Community, are given the opportunity to control finance and administration in each of the organisations.In the UN, the United States, which is the leading funding member, retains the presidency of the World Bank and other strategic positions, while the United Kingdom, which does not produce the secretary-general of the Commonwealth, retains the position of the deputy secretary-general in charge of Finance, Administration and Logistics.Similarly, in the francophone UEMOA, the leading contributor to the funding of the organisation, Ivory Coast, is the permanent president of the bank, just as South Africa controls the finance of the South African Development Commission, as the chief contributor of the revenue of the regional body.It was learnt that the loss of the CFA post to Sierra Leone was the outcome of a sustained conspiracy spearheaded by Francophone West Africa, with the intent to whittle down the influence of Nigeria in the region.In 2006, the Francophone countries, it was learnt, smuggled a clause into the ECOWAS statutes, which stated that no member state should be allowed to occupy a particular position twice.An authoritative source told our correspondents on Thursday in Abuja that the decision was unfair to Nigeria as the country remained the only membernation who would not be able to produce the president of the commission because of its position as the host country.In spite of the insertion of the clause into the charter of the commission, the move to deprive Nigeria of the CFA post was resisted by the late President Umaru YarAdua administration in 2008.The Federal Government had once taken immediate steps to withhold 0.2 per cent from the ECOWAS Community Levy Account in order to nip in the bud any plan to deny the nation of the CFA post.It wrote a letter to the president of ECOWAS to demand that the withheld funds could only be released on the condition that Nigeria would occupy the post on a permanent basis.Interestingly, the letters written to the ECOWAS president dated August 14, 2008, and March 25, 2008, respectively, had the same title, Re: Lifting of Presidential Directive Withholding 0.2 from the ECOWAS Community Levy Account.The ex-ministers told the ECOWAS president that an inter-ministerial committee set up by the late YarAdua to take a look at the embargo on the ECOWAS account recommended that Nigeria as the leading contributor to the funding of ECOWAS must occupy on a permanent basis, the office of the Commissioner for Finance and Administration.With reference to the above subject matter, I read to inform you that sequel to Mr. Presidents directives, an inter-ministerial committee meeting, which was set up by the ministry to review the embargo placed on ECOWAS Community Levy Account withholding 0.2 per cent made recommendations, which were approved by Mr. President vide letter ref. No. Pres/87 dated February 14, 2008... read the opening paragraph of Babalolas letter.The letter from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which was a follow-up to a ministers letter, was a reminder of the Nigerian Presidents approval of the recommendations of the inter-ministerial committee set up by YarAdua to review the said embargo.By the letter of March 25, 2008, the Minister of State for Finance communicated to your Excellency, the outcome of an inter-ministerial committee set up to review the embargo placed on ECOWAS Community Levy Account withholding 0.2 percent following Mr. Presidents directive and subsequent approval.Permit me to remind you that the recommendations on the conditional lifting of the embargo are as follow:That Nigeria would permanently occupy the position of Commissioner for Finance and Administration.In view of the fact that Nigeria contributes close to 85 per cent of the ECOWAS budget, it is imperative that she should be involved in the management of the funds. This will entail that Nigeria is permanently on the ECOWAS Ministerial Audit Committee.These core conditions relating to the position of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Finance and Administration were repeated verbatim by Babalola in the first letter to the president of ECOWAS.Investigations showed that apart from the huge contributions being made by the FG to the funding of ECOWAS, the country has continued to bear the brunt of the local politics in the organisation.It was learnt that the membercountries of the organisation, dominated by the Francophone countries, had deliberately ignored the rule when it would suit their interest.A source said, The ECOWAS protocol states that the chairmanship of the authority shall be rotated annually and meetings of the summit should hold alternately in the country that is chairing and another member state that is not chairing.Were fully aware that since January 2009, Nigeria has been chairing, starting with YarAdua. This is therefore the third year of Nigerias chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority.Similarly, all the summits have been hosted in Nigeria with huge expenditure that is involved, including sending the aircraft in the Presidential fleet to bring the other heads of state to Nigeria.The source added that the requirement that alphabetical order was followed in the election of the chairman of the organisation was not adhered to in electing Nigeria as the chair.Investigation showed that the sudden change of position of the FG on the issue of the permanent occupation of the CFA post by Nigeria was as a result of a high-powered conspiracy by some Foreign Affairs Ministry personnel, whose briefing of President Jonathan on the issue was said to have swayed him (Jonathan).Nigeria has invested huge funds in international organisations and peacekeeping operations in the past five decades without a commensurate benefit for the sacrifice.Since the country commenced participation in the United Nations/Organisation of African Unity peacekeeping operations in the Congo, shortly after independence in 1960, the country has committed about $10bn to the pursuit of international peace.part from the fact that the country lost over 2,000 soldiers in peacekeeping operations, the outcome of its efforts in Sierra Leone and Liberia showed that the investments were not tailored towards promoting the countrys interest.When SATURDAY PUNCH contacted the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru for his reaction to the loss of the CFA post, a female official, who picked the call directed our correspondent to call one Ogbole Ode on a number she sent to him.However, Ode said he assumed office only last week and asked to be given time to make the necessary contacts before addressing the matter.He said, I resumed office last week. I suggest you come to the office tomorrow (Friday) since were meeting the media, then I can address all these issues.Pressed further for comments, he said, We have different units and departments and some of the issues will require me seeking information from them to be able to give an appropriate response.
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