News
Akufo-Addo Calls on Politicians to Work Assiduously for Democracy to Checkmate Coup De’tat
Akufo-Addo Calls on Politicians to Work Assiduously for Democracy to Checkmate Coup De’tat
By Michael Mike
Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo has called on politicians in the West African subregion to work assiduously towards entrenching democratic principles of accountability, noting that until this is ensured democracy may continued to be under attack.
Akufo-Addo stated this on Friday at a high-level parliamentary seminar on the ‘Role of the ECOWAS Parliament: Relating the Challenges of Unconstitutional Regime Change and Presidential Term Limits in West Africa”, organised by the ECOWAS Parliament in Winneba, Ghana.
The Ghanaian President while declaring open the seminar, lamented that “our region is confronted with a difficult economic, political, social insecurity situation.”
He said despite the considerable progress made by the community in the areas of democracy, good governance and the rule of law since the 1990s, “we are at the moment witnessing a significant decline in our democratic relations.”
He said: “This observation is bitter and implacable, today four member ECOWAS States are led by military government as a result of coup d’etat, this has unfortunately created a stare palpable anxiety and tension in every corner of the region, raising the spectra of region instability which we thought had been banished for ever. Equally apart is the culture of violence and disputes that characterise the period of electing some of our leaders.
He decried that the regional democracy is currently facing three serious threats, which include attempted confiscation of democracy by elites who impose legal instruments in the manipulation of democracy and the subjugation of the institutions of the republic with the sole aim of remaining in power; secondly the emerging remilitarization of governance with the return once again of the military unto the political scene who have neither consulted or received any mandate from the people on whose behalf they purport to act; the wanton desire to destroy democracy by terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs which promote lawlessness and violation of freedom in the region.
He said: “I want to reaffirm that in the contemporary world, the only legitimacy for any leader is through a mandate that is freely give by the people in a fair, peaceful and transparent election. This is the most tangible and objective way to know and recognize the commonwealth which is the wealth of the people.
He noted that The election of Mohammed Bazoum in Niger was in line with all the tenets of democracy and that was why the coup in Niger is particularly tragic for the consolidation of democracy in our region.
He cautioned that: “It is also important to remind us that democracy is not a western concept as some believe but rather a universal concept of general application. The history of the world, including that of Africa testifies that the process of electing and installing leaders in democratic circumstances provides the best form of government.
“Modern history has taught us that tyranny, oppression and totalitarian government do not last long. No matter how a people reject democracy and civil liberty circumstances will always force them back to embrace them”.
He therefore urged Parliamentarians to speak against the extension of presidential tenures by some leaders to strengthen their grip and power.
These actions according to President Akufo-Addo, tend to result in discontent among the populace to create fertile grounds for which military intervention feed.
He said: “There should be no backsliding in support for democratic values anchored on the promotion of the rule of law and respect for human rights.
“It is important for all of us in the adherence of democracy to remember not to underestimate the importance of parliament, the consequently not to undermine it’s worth. We cannot emphasize enough the role of Parliament in exercising the checks and balances needed on the executive, we cannot emphasize enough the role of Parliament as the voice of the people and we cannot emphasize enough the role of Parliament in setting the tone for public discuss in our respective countries. It is for the good of our nations that our parliaments development the capacity to insist on accountability in all aspect of our land and no institution is better suited for this than the one who houses the representatives of the people”.
The seminar is expected to brainstorm on the major challenges facing the region and profer solutions, the Ghanaian president assures that the authority of Heads of States are expectant of the resolutions.
He said: “Brainstorming on all this major challenges which I have just outlined in the search for solutions to the political and security challenges facing our region is the imperative mission of this seminar, one of the expected outcomes is to help us understand even better the root causes of democratic regression and political instability in the region, it all will be better to address. This seminar over the next few days must propose measures to ensure the anchoring of democracy and republican values both at the level of political elites and citizens of the community. This will help towards preserving the peace and stability of the region.
“I can assure you that the authority of Heads of states of ECOWAS will be receptive to all your proposals and await them with great interest. Our expectations is that the conclusions and recommendations from this seminar will contribute to the deepening and strengthening of democracy, good governance, peace and stability in our region.
In his remarks, the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Sidie MohammedTunis, explained that the high-level seminar was put together as part of the performance of parliaments obligations under the Treaty, to determine what causes military takeovers, democratic regression, and political instability in the sub-region.
He said this is in spite of the existence of Community Acts and Protocols intended to consolidate democracy and promote political stability.
Tunis reiterated that their responsibility as legislators is not only to create laws and policies but also to rigorously monitor their implementation.
According to him, to ensure that ECOWAS performs maximally to the expectation of the people, as parliamentarians, they must facilitate robust and continuous
discourse on the broad issues, aimed at formulating effective and sustainable solutions to the tremendous crisis confronting our peoples and
humanity in general.
“During this Seminar, we also intend to look at the causes of various attempts by democratically elected leaders in the sub-
region to extend their term limits despite crystal-clear constitutional provisions outlining these terms, as well as the potential role the ECOWAS Parliament can play in preventing such anti-democratic actions.
“We note that the role of the Parliament in upholding regional stability, laying the groundwork for democracy, economic growth, and the rule of law, as well as acting as the voice of hope for all our peoples, is invaluable and should never be diminished. Parliamentarians need to step up to the plate and demonstrate the extraordinary leadership that is expected of us.”
Akufo-Addo Calls on Politicians to Work Assiduously for Democracy to Checkmate Coup De’tat
News
NEDC Seeks Global Partners Support to Actualize North East Development Master Plan
NEDC Seeks Global Partners Support to Actualize North East Development Master Plan
By: Michael Mike
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has seek the assistance of global development partners for its North East Stabilization and Development Master Plan.
The Commission made available the Master Plan to global development partners at the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) headquarters at N’Djamena, Chad
This Master Plan is a framework of the NEDC to accelerate the regional recovery effort as it steps up sustainable implementation of programmes based on the needs of the six states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe that constitute the North East region. The plan is in addition to humanitarian interventions and disaster support .
In N’Djamena, the Commission led by its Managing Director and CEO, Mohammed Alkali with his team met with the Executive Secretary of the LCBC, Amb. Mamman Nuhu who is also the Head of Mission of the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
Alkali at the meeting, emphasized that the LCBC’s strategies for recovering the lake Chad basin are similar to those of the NEDC in the recovery of the Northeast region as contained in the Master Plan.
He noted that the NEDC views the LCBC as a strategic partner in the quest to actualise its developmental programmes as the regional body’s activities strongly impact on the states of the North East .
Executive Secretary LCBC, Amb. Mamman Nuhu on his part, said. “We certainly have a lot to do together so at our technical level we will come up with recommendations on how we can work together and form stronger partnership in order to pitch up the affected period already under Prolac which is called (in support of MCRP) it is called prolac in all the other countries except Nigeria where it is in support of MCRP and where we have been working closely with all the others, where we have the regional help”
Nuhu also pointed out that there is a window for everybody in terms of the nine pillars out of the 40 strategic objectives of the regional stablization strategy, every body can come in with a plan .
He said: “The only limitation we have is funding otherwise it is an excellent plan and it is adaptive. It is also inline with the Lake Chad Basin Commission Regional Stabilization Strategy which was developed in the year 2018”.
Among the MD/CEO’s delegation were the Executive Director Admin & Finance, Dr. Abubakar Garba Iliya, Prof. Umar Bobboi, National Cordinator MCRP, Prof. Mohammed Abbagana, Head, Research & Planning, Mohammed Umar Sani, Head, Resettlement & Early Recovery and Naomi Abwaku of the Commission’s Corporate Services Department.
The Delegation from the NEDC will also be in N’Djamena to attend the 3rd Annual International Forum on the Development of the Lake Chad Basin with the theme ‘Enhancing Local Governance and Social Cohesion for Socio Economic Development and Food Security in Changing in the Lake Chad Region’.
NEDC Seeks Global Partners Support to Actualize North East Development Master Plan
Military
SENATE COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE CONDUCTS OVERSIGHT VISIT TO AFCSC
SENATE COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE CONDUCTS OVERSIGHT VISIT TO AFCSC
By: Our Reporter
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Sen. Ahmad Lawan and his entourage conducted an Oversight Visit to the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji Kaduna on Monday, November 4, 2024. The visit, held at AVM AO Ogundana Officers’ Mess aimed to inspect and assess projects executed by the College.
In his address, the commandant AFCSC, AVM HI Alhaji welcome the committee. He further mentioned that the College was established with the mission to train tactical and operational level officers in standardized command and staff duties through professional military education to effectively accomplish the constitutional roles of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
During his remarks, Sen. Ahmad Lawan stated that in the current global landscape, security is paramount. Therefore, he pledged to continue prioritizing the nation’s security and military forces to ensure they receive the necessary support. “When we secure our environment, we can more easily and comfortably provide for other needs,” he said. The committee chairman also highlighted the AFCSC as a key institution for military training, providing education to officers at the tactical, operational, and mid-management levels, who go on to lead critical military operations. Sen. Ahmad Lawan stressed the importance of creating a conducive environment for achieving the College’s goals, underscoring that adequate funding is essential for success.
“There must be substantial investment in the AFCSC and other defence institutions like the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and the National Defence College (NDC),” Lawan said. “These institutions attract people from all over the world for training, a testament to the excellence of our programs.” He called for more funding in the upcoming 2025 budget for defence institutions and security agencies, asserting that security should be the nation’s top priority.
Sen. Ahmad Lawan thereafter, commended also the Commandant AFCSC, his predecessors and members of the College Committee for their dedicated efforts in building and sustaining the institution since its inception.
Highlights of the event included inspection of the quarter guard, presentation of souvenirs, a tour of College facilities.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE CONDUCTS OVERSIGHT VISIT TO AFCSC
News
Borno Flood: Buhari Pays Condolence Visit to Maiduguri
Borno Flood: Buhari Pays Condolence Visit to Maiduguri
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum on Tuesday received former President Muhammadu Buhari who was in the state to commiserate with the people and government over the 10th of September flood disaster.
The state capital Maiduguri and environs was submerged in flood that claimed several lives and destroyed many properties.
President Buhari who was out of the country when the flood disaster occurred had earlier sent a high powered delegation to commiserate with the government and made a N20m donation to the state relief fund.
Making his remarks during the visit, Buhari said, “When this disaster happened, having been governor in Borno during my military career, I could hardly imagine such disaster. I was out of the country, all I could do was to send people to come and sympathise with you.”
In their separate remarks, Governor Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Umar Garbai Elkanemi, expressed gratitude to the former President for the visit.
The former president was accompanied by the ex-Secretary to the federal government, Boss Mustapha, Engr. Sulaiman Adamu, Sen. Hadi Sirika, Prof. Isa Pantami, Engr. Aliyu Mamman, Garba Shehu, Emeka Nwajiuba, Musa Haro Danmadami among other associates.
Borno Flood: Buhari Pays Condolence Visit to Maiduguri
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