.…Calls For Reform Of ECOWAS Protocol
A group, the ECOWAS Community Citizens, have called on the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), to end what it describes as “both electoral and military Coups in the Region.”
The ECOWAS Community Citizens, are drawn from the Civil Society Organisations, the private sector, political parties, trade and labour unions, women and youth associations, among others.
Addressing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, Dr. Ken Ukaoha, President of National Association of Nigerian Traders(NANTS), strongly condemned the recent coup in Niger Republic.
Ukaoha lamented that “the West African region is currently undergoing a real decline and is increasingly confronted with an erosion of individual and collective freedoms in a context of growing instability in relation to recurrent socio-political crises and violent extremism.”
He disclosed that due to the alarming situation in the Region that the Group had earlier on written a letter to the ECOWAS Commission to change the narratives in the Region.
According to him, ” the challenges of economic developments were intimately linked to the consolidation of the rule of law and democracy… ECOWAS must carry out reforms, including the reform of its Additional Protocol A/SPI/12/01/ on Democracy and Good Governance; where Term limits must be a cornerstone in the construction of this narrative and in the fierce desire to put the institution at the service of Member States and our Community as a whole.
“Indeed, in West Africa, the desire for tenure elongation is increasingly marked among incumbents and democratic alternation is increasingly distant prospect in many countries, thus enshrining a real denial of democratic norms and standards as prescribed by the Additional Protocol A/SPI/12/01/ and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right.”
It would be recalled that between August 2020 and till date, five coups have occurred in three West African countries – Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea – with coup attempts also recorded in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau foiled.
Ukaoha noted that ECOWAS had reacted swiftly to Coups in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso, adding that ECOWAS has unfortunately failed “to provide answers to constitutional and electoral coups, which have become the new strategy of monopolising political power in the Region.”
He further condemned ECOWAS for endorsing dubious election results and congratulating the winners, while insisting that there is the urgent need for reform of the ECOWAS Protocol to put an end to these malfeasence.
Prof. Jubrin Ibrahim, Executive Director of Centre for Democracy and Development(CDD), said coup in the Region makes nonsense of democratic governance.
According to Ibrahim, “Whenever the Army feels it has stay too long out of power, it organises a coup and this makes nonsense of our democratic institutions.
“Nobody under democratic governance has the responsibility to take over power, if he or she has not been elected by the people.
“After decades of military rule in Africa, we noticed that the records of the performance of the military have been worse.
“We shall not tolerate military take over again. We are extremely concerned that, in the last two to three years, we have had three coups in West Africa, Central Africa, Chad, and two other unsuccessful Coups.
“We believe strongly that citizens of West Africa and our governments should mount the barricades again and make a clear statement that never again, we will accept recurrent coups.”
In his remarks, Prof. David Dosseh, Coordinator, Citizen Front Togo Raising Up, tasked ECOWAS Commission to address
what he described as constitutional, electoral and military coup d’etat gradually gaining ground in the West African Region.
Dosseh explained that the Group has been working in consultation with ECOWAS over the years as well as networking with other Civil Society Organisations, the media, political parties and other critical stakeholders to address the myriads of socio-political challenges confronting the Region.
