Nigeria is owing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) a year’s worth of levies amounting to $694, 000, the regional organization says.
According to PRNigeria, ECOWAS is facing financial difficulties over non-payment of dues and other levies.
Recently the Vice President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Micah Wright, was quoted to have said that the court is unable to carry out its functions due to unavailability of funds.
“The court and by extension the entire community is facing financial difficulties where member states are not paying up the community levy and that is the means of finance for all ECOWAS activities,” he said.
“The court is always at disadvantage when the funds are being distributed. But we have to take more initiatives to impress it upon the commission the mandate of the court is of such that the court is alone.”
“The court cannot source external funding like the commission or like other institutions. We don’t want to compromise our independence and neutrality by going out to seek donor funding.”
On his part, the President of ECOWAS, Marcel De Souza, had said, “The community levy which represents 90 percent of our funding is no longer regularly paid by most member states; Nigeria is not alone in this regard, also Cote D’Ivoire.”
“We see that the greatest challenge lies with Nigeria. The arrears that Nigeria is owing is 694,000 dollars because there was no payment made between 2015 and 2016. Because of the debt burden it carries, ECOWAS is now losing its credibility.”
However, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the regional body of Nigeria’s sustained commitment.
The President made the statement when he was recently paid a visit by the ECOWAS president.
“The federal government of Nigeria would strive to show good example by meeting all its financial obligations to the sub-regional organisation.”
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