President Mills will join his colleagues from the sub-region today for a crunch meeting to try to resolve the Ivorian leadership crisis. It is the second time in less than a month that the ECOWAS Heads of State are convening in the Nigerian capital over the crisis said to have claimed some 173 lives so far. Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo is refusing to cede power to his rival Alassane Ouattara who, both the country’s Electoral Commission and the UN that supervised a recent poll, have declared winner. Director of Communications at the Presidency Koku Anyidoho who is traveling with the president told Joy News the leaders are expected to discuss how to stabilize the country. He said the leaders will be exploring ways of resolving the crisis without further bloodshed. A spokesperson for the regional grouping, Sony Ugo, told the BBC ECOWAS needs to bring more pressure to bear on Laurent Gbagbo. He said even though the incumbent president of Ivory Coast was currently under intense international pressure, “we need work a lot harder to increase the pressure to make sure that there is transition to president Outtara whom we recognize as the duly elected president from that election.” The president is expected back tonight or early tomorrow morning. In a related development the Central Bank of the West African Economic and Monetary Union has blocked funds to the administration of the incumbent President of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo. The BBC’s John James reports the latest move coming after the UN General Assembly’s recognition of his rival as President adds to the pressure on Gbagbo. Meanwhile latest reports say people are rushing to banks to try and empty their accounts because of uncertainty about the political crisis. Most banks are as a result said to be running low on funds which the incumbent President could use to pay public sector workers, especially the security forces. Source: Joy News/Ghana