Fayemi Hails Ibn Chambas as Exemplary Peace Builder at 75th Birthday Celebration
By Gbenga Sodeinde
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has extolled the virtues of renowned diplomat Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, describing him as an exemplary peace builder and true pan-African statesman whose decades of service have strengthened regional and international institutions.
Fayemi, who is also Nigeria’s former Minister of Mineral Resources, gave the commendation in Accra, Ghana, over the weekend while speaking as a Special Guest at Dr. Chambas’ 75th birthday celebration.
He noted that Dr. Chambas’ distinguished career spans several critical roles, including Executive Secretary and later President of the ECOWAS Commission; Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States in Brussels; UN Special Representative in Darfur (UNAMID); and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel. He also served in various capacities within the African Union, ECOWAS, and the West African Elders Forum, following an earlier career as a Member of Parliament and Minister in Ghana.
Reflecting on Chambas’ stewardship of ECOWAS, Fayemi described the period as the institution’s “golden era”, marked by the adoption of several landmark instruments such as the Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Mechanism, the Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, and the ECOWAS Vision 2020. He added that Chambas played a pivotal role in building ECOWAS into a model regional economic community respected across the continent.
“At 75, Dr. Chambas should ideally be settling into retirement,” Fayemi said, “but given the state of the continent—especially the West African sub-region—we still need his wise counsel, incomparable experience, and firm resolve to help address lingering challenges.”
He concluded with warm wishes for the diplomat: “I wish our elder brother a very happy birthday in good health, and I pray that the united, secure, safe, and prosperous Africa he has worked tirelessly for over five decades will become a reality in his lifetime.”
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