The Federal government yesterday joined in the facilitation of the quick
restoration of civilian rule in Burkina Faso a day after President
Muhammadu Buhari hosted an Extraordinary session of ECOWAS Authority of
Heads of State and Governments in Abuja, where the decision was taken to
ensure the termination of last week’s military coup in the West African
nation.
Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who represented President Buhari
yesterday in Ouagadougou, among the select group of West African leaders
who were in the Burkinabe capital said the leaders were there “to convey
the recommendations agreed by ECOWAS leaders in Abuja, and we have
witnessed the reinstatement of President Michel Kafando as the Transition
President of Burkina Faso.”
Speaking with reporters in the capital city after series of consultations,
meetings and a formal restoration of power ceremony, Osinbajo stated that
the restoration of civilian authority in Burkina Faso after last week
military coup conducted by the country’s presidential guards (known as the
Presidential Security Regiment or RSP) “is a very good sign, a positive
thing,” observing that ECOWAS played a significant role in the process
that made the restoration possible.
According to him, “as you know President Kafando had been detained by the
RSP, -the presidential guard-but they have now stepped down as you can
see, and they are now part of the process to ensure that the transition
goes on.” He continued: “what we have seen today is how ECOWAS states came
together basically to agree and see to it that President Kafando was
reinstated and now that has been accomplished.”
Praising the leaders of ECOWAS including President Buhari, President Boni
Yayi of Benin, and the current Chairman of ECOWAS, President Macky Sall of
Senegal alongside all the leaders in the West African region, the Vice
President said “now we are all looking at how to advance the transition
process here in Burkina Faso.”
He said while there are still difficult issues to be resolved as fallouts
of the coup crisis, it is clear that progress will continue judging from
the fact that the people are determined, all the groups involved are now
engaged in the process and are cooperating.
Prof. Osinbajo reiterated Nigeria’s continued brotherly support for
Burkina Faso, while also commending the international community for coming
together to condemn the coup.
According to him,”I think it is very clear going by the ECOWAS
Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the legal
instruments of the African Union, that coups are no longer fashionable and
no longer acceptable. In fact, it punishable to take power by force. As
soon as this coup took place, the entire ECOWAS, AU and the entire
international community rose with one voice against it.”
After Tuesday’s summit in Abuja hosted by President Buhari, ECOWAS
selected a group of six leaders one each from Nigeria, Benin, Senegal,
Togo, Niger and Ghana to visit Ouagadougou and proffer the recommendations
of the West African nations towards solving the disruption of civil
transition programme in Burkina Faso.
President Yayi of Benin was named as facilitator, while Nigeria was
represented by the Vice President. In what included series of talks and
events all day Wednesday, leaders from the six West African nations met
with the RSP, Burkina Faso military and civil leaders and presided over
the formal ceremony to effect the restoration of power from the
presidential guards led by General Gilbert Deirdre.
On his arrival yesterday morning-September 23- in the Burkinabe capital,
Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo was received at the Ouagadougou
Airport by General Deirde, while he was escorted back on return through
the same airport by the restored Transition President Kafando. The VP
returned to Nigeria last night- Wednesday.