W/Africans want indigenous language for ECOWAS, says Pan-Africanist
By Mark Longyen
Citizens of West African countries have called on ECOWAS to introduce an indigenous language from one of its member states as an official language, in addition to English, French, and Portuguese.
Bishir Dauda, a Pan-Africanist who is travelling across West Africa to celebrate ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from Accra, Ghana.
Dauda said that citizens of the community made the request during his interactions with them at various fora throughout his advocacy and solidarity journey.
NAN reports that ECOWAS, founded on May 28, 1975, to foster subregional economic integration and political unity, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary on May 28.
The activist had, in an interview with NAN before embarking on the marathon trip on April 1, stated that the 50-day journey was his own unique way of celebrating ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary.
“In the course of this trip, I have been interacting with many people in different West African countries, seeking their views about ECOWAS.
“One of the key takeaways from my interactive sessions is the community citizens’ clarion call on ECOWAS to make an indigenous West African language one of its official languages.
“Many people I spoke to specifically recommended the Hausa Language, which is spoken widely in West and Central Africa,” he said.
Dauda said that the citizens were aware that ECOWAS had already been transformed from a mere international organisation to an ‘ECOWAS of Peoples’, which should go beyond rhetoric.
He said that the people wanted all ECOWAS policies and programmes to be more directly derived from the people, while ECOWAS should be seen as interacting directly with the grassroots.
“This will help in countering the prevailing notion that ECOWAS is just an intergovernmental organisation representing the interests of the elites in government,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
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