ECOWAS Launches Chinese-Donated Military Equipment, Sets To Ship Equipment To Sierra Leone.
By Ferdinand Olise
The Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, says Nigeria is by far the most important member of the ECOWAS community in terms of population, resources, in its influence, and in facilitating the operations of ECOWAS.
Ambassador Musah who stated this in Abuja at the launch of military equipment donated to ECOWAS by the Chinese government. He said the equipment had been donated to ECOWAS for about nine years ago.
“We are also very aware, that the Chinese government government donated assorted military equipment to ECOWAS, that has been almost eight, nine years ago”, he said.
On his part the Commissioner Internal Services, ECOWAS, Dr. Habib Bappah, said the equipment stayed this long due to the logistics to move it to its final destination were not ready. He expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Armed Forces, and President Bola Tinubu for his support to ECOWAS, not only on peace and security matters, but also on development matters.
“This equipment stayed here for long because the logistics therefore was not ready, but today it has been launched and it is time to move this equipment out of the cantonment, we are very grateful to the armed forces of Nigeria and of course to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinibu for his support to ECOWAS not only on peace and security matters but also on development matters*, he said.
Meanwhile, the Commander, Defence Headquarters Garrison, Major General Mike Alechenu, said that plans are in top gear to move the containers to its final destination in Sierra Leone. He appreciated them on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff for their kind gesture.
” I am happy that this will soon come to an end as plans are in top gear to move these containers i think from Abuja to Lagos by road, then from Lagos to Sierra Leone which is the final destination and that is where the ECOWAS commissioned logistic basis domicile. I want to assure you that the vehicles you are donating to the Armed forces; we are representing the Armed Forces; to the armed forces today, we want to assure you that the vehicles we will put in good, productive and responsive use that will further our assigned task.
“Once again, on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, I’d like to appreciate you profoundly for your kind gesture and I’m going to let him know and give him a brief of this short ceremony”,he said.
Also, an officer of the Nigerian Navy, Captain I. J Akpa, said the equipment are mainly non-lethal, non-kinetic equipment.
“The ECOWAS Commission, we operationalised the depot in Lungi on the sidelines of the summit in Sierra Leone. So our depot was officially commissioned on the 18th of July in Lungi, in Sierra Leone.
Now, as part of that operationalisation, we’ve had about, for the past 10 years, we have equipment donated by the Chinese government to ECOWAS. These are mainly non-lethal, non-kinetic equipment, camping for structure, tents, mobile showers, washrooms, laundry mats and other items, basically to support our field mission. We envisage that once it’s fully operational, this logistics depot will serve not just its purpose to support military operations, but serve as a humanitarian relief center as well”, he said.
The Chief of Staff, ECOWAS Standby Forces, Brigadier General Suleiman Massaqooi, said they are giving some of the equipment to the frontline units like Benin Republic, and the rest of the items would be shipped to Sierra Leone.
