With few days left in office, President Muhammadu Buhari, will be conferred with the Democracy Icon Award by the Economic Community of West African States.
The Chairman of the regional bloc and President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Embalo, revealed this at a bilateral meeting with Buhari on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar.
According to a statement signed on Tuesday by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu;
“Buhari will have his name on the roll of honor in the community’s new headquarters building upon its completion in Abuja.”
The statement is titled ‘ECOWAS to confer democracy icon award on President Buhari.’
Umaro Embalo noted that the award recognises Buhari’s achievements in the defence and promotion of democracy as a system of government throughout the sub-region.
According to him, the Nigerian leader had done more than any other to support democratic governments in West Africa, just as he had done in waging battles against the emergence of non-democratic regimes.
“For this, said the ECOWAS Chairman, President Buhari will have his name on the Roll of Honor in the community’s new headquarters building upon its completion in Abuja, so that future generations of West African citizens will know about the greatness he achieved and to copy his laudable examples,” the statement read in part.
In response, the President welcomed the proposition, stressing that democracy is a dependable vehicle for achieving national development because it unites diverse people and cultures.