Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure free movement of its citizens while strengthening regional security.
The acting President made the call at the ECOWAS Heads of Immigration meeting in Abuja.
The meeting was designed to foster regional collaboration and migration management.
Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, also called for more effective and proactive migration management system in the sub-region.
“We have to find a sub-regional mechanism to solving insecurity challenges and irregular migration in ECOWAS,” he said.
He said that despite the need for free movement of persons within the sub-region, concerted efforts must be put in place to address the attendant security challenges such as human trafficking and terrorism.
He charged immigration and security agencies within member states to develop a robust security gathering and sharing mechanism to address irregular migration and security challenges in the region.
The Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), said all hands should be on deck to address the perennial challenge of irregular migration in the region.
“This meeting will help to strengthen cooperation amongst member states in the implementation of ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in the light of the prevailing security challenges within the region,” Dambazau said.
NAN
No comments:
Post a Comment