Nigeria's Yakubu Gowon, the last living founding father of ECOWAS, calls for its rescue

Nigeria's Yakubu Gowon, the last living founding father of ECOWAS, calls for its rescue, (African News)

Former Nigerian head of state, Yakubu Gowon who was one of the founders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for the lifting of sanctions on coup-hit countries ahead of an emergency heads of state meeting in the region.

Gowon on Wednesday in Abuja Nigeria's capital warned ECOWAS was "threatened with disunity". "Neither my generation nor current or future generations will forgive the break-up of our community " he said.

" I call on all West African leaders to immediately consider implementing the following measures: the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger; the withdrawal by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger of their notice to leave ECOWAS; the participation of ECOWAS's 15 heads of state in a summit to discuss the community's future, security and regional stability. "