Akufo-Addo Expresses Concern over Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram’s Activities

The President of Ghana and Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority, Nana Akufo-Addo, has expressed deep concern over the activities of Al-Qaeda and the Boko Haram sect in the Lake Chad Basin.

Akufi-Addo who was recently elected as the ECOWAS Authority chairperson at the 57th Summit of the regional body in Niamey said the insurgents were taking advantage of the poverty situation within member states in the recruitment and indoctrination of the youths in the region.

The Ghanaian President who spoke during a working visit to the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja yesterday, therefore, called for a strong regional approach to contain the growing threats of terrorist and extremist activities.

He said the growing numbers of breakaway terror groups, and the spread of ethnolinguistic groups are a source of concern.

He also expressed concern over the porous nature of the borders and the vulnerabilities of the ECOWAS member states.

Akufo-Addo however said the region had reached had agreed to a $1billion budget for the financing of activities in the action plan to contain terrorism.

He said, “Following the summit, a 2020 to 2024 Plan of Action was adopted by the 56th ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in December 2019.

“To this end, $1billion was programmed for the financing of activities in the Action Plan. We have to intensify our efforts to ensure that the plan of action is well-financed with a view to ridding our community of terrorism.”