10th edition

May 20, 2015 Samuel Publisher's Desk 0

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Integrity International Magazine joins our teaming readers across Africa and beyond to congratulate the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for clocking 40 years. The cover story of this edition attempts to chronicle the success story and challenges before the sub-regional economic entity though, the task ahead remains daunting but achievable. We salute the founding fathers of ECOWAS for this vision.

Against mounting fears and pessimism before the 2015 Nigeria General elections, Nigerians on March 28th 2015 proved to the world that she is capable of running her domestic affairs. The just concluded Presidential election was not only adjudged by local and international election monitoring observers as the most transparent, credible and fair in the annals of the nation’s political process but Nigerians were commended for their conduct and resilience throughout the election exercise. The international community also commended the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for transparency and introduction of technological innovations such as Voter Card Reader in the electoral process. It is indeed commendable that Nigeria will joined the league of African nations that recorded smooth transition of apparatus of government from the ruling political party to the opposition party, come May 29, 2015. It is remarkable that Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana, Mali, Cote D’ivoire, Lesotho and Benin Republic are among the African countries where the incumbent Presidents and Ruling Political Parties lost Presidential elections to the opposition.

Integrity International also commends the incumbent President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his rare display of a true democrat by congratulating the President-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) even before the formalization of the Presidential Election result. This is an act worthy of emulation by African leaders and Nigerian Politicians for the sustenance of democracy and meaningful development.

For the first time, Integrity International is unveiling African Leaders of Integrity Merit Award (ALIMA) recipients as an innovation in our editorial policy and projecting African ingenuity, inventiveness as well as leaders who are unblemish in character and position of trust. Happy reading, and more fruitful years for ECOWAS and the leadership.

GEOFFREY UMEH

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