ECOWAS aim has been misplaced- Appiah Menka

Industrialist Mr. Ken Appiah-Menka has called on member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to go back to fulfilling the mission for which the sub regional grouping was established.

For the renowned industrialist, the aim for establishing the ECOWAS has been completely misplaced.

Mr. Appiah-Menka who was the chairman of a forum held by the British West African Forum (BWA) in alliance with Credit Reference Bureau Ghana Limited (CRB) and CBS Credit (UK) Limited said the main aim of the grouping, which was to harness and promote trade and economic co-existence between West-Africa states has been de-linked from the agenda of ECOWAS.

According to him, ECOWAS is currently without the economic aspect, with the various West African heads twisting the aim of the grouping and turning it into a more political and militarily interest-based association.

He noted further that the political commitment of the heads of state to promote the economic well being of West Africa is non- existent, with a concentration rather on their various “political and military pacts.”

Mr. Appiah-Menka also bemoaned the situation where most of the sub regional organizations formed to promote the interest of West Africa have collapsed.

He told the participants that previously, West Africa was seriously linked with Britain and all of Europe through some of these West African associations but that is not the case now.

Associations like West African Cocoa Research Institute, West Africa Club of Mines, West African Airlines, West African Court of Appeal and a host of others according to Mr. Appiah-Menka have all fizzled out to the detriment of the sub region.

He was quick to add that, “all of them went wrong because of the sovereignty attained by West African states.” He stressed the need for political commitment of member states to help promote especially the economic interest of Africa adding that if most of the associations had not faded out, the sub region and continent of Africa would have been in a better position economically among the other continents of the world.