Solution To Unconstitutional Change Of Govt Across ECOWAS Lies With Leadership – Analyst
By ABAH SUNDAY, Abuja
Unconstitutional change of government which poses one of the greatest threats to democracy across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in this day and age has been linked to leadership across the member states.
International affairs analyst and publisher of the The SUMMIT POST, Nelson Omonu, established the nexus during a live chat on Platform, a Radio Nigeria current affairs programme anchored by Nura Mohammed, in Abuja recently.
Omonu who described the growing number of West African states under, and the fear that more may join, military rule, the latest being Niger, as worrisome disagreed with proponents of militarised approach to stemming the tide of coup d’etat within the subregion.
The publisher noted that expanding the frontiers of democracy within the subregion could only be achieved by making the people feel the democratic dividend in development which according to him is a direct offshoot of good governance.
He therefore urged ECOWAS authorities to in their quest for stable polity in the subregion to be engaging and encouraging the leaderships of member states to strive to deliver good governance as a democratic dividend to the peoples, stressing that only in that way can unconstitutional change of government already witnessed in four of the 15 states can be discouraged.
He said, “Everything hinges on development, because as human beings we are attuned to good things naturally. When a good thing happens, everybody welcomes it. So the only way for ECOWAS to earn credence and wax stronger is through development, and the onus is on the leaders to drive the development initiatives on ground with focus on good governance and inclusivity.
“With the governance system improved upon, development will naturally follow and trickle down. Pupils, for instance, would not have to sit on the floor in schools to learn. And it all boils down to the extent to which corruption can be tackled.
“If you go to the UK now, for instance, and tell people that look, let us opt for a change in the governance system, nearly 100 per cent, if not all, I believe, would tell you they don’t need any other form of government. And that is because they are seeing and feeling democracy in all aspects of their lives.
“That is what leaders in the subregion must be looking into. They must employ dialogue in keeping together for democracy to thrive across the subcontinent. Now Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and, lately, Niger have been subjected to military rule, and there was an attempted coup in Sierra Leone. Now, out of 15 ECOWAS member countries, four are gone, with one or two others having attempted coup, how many remain?”
According to Omonu, even the sanction approach, as being pressed against Niger, should not be seen as a more viable option to round-table negotiation to make members see reasons why the bloc needs to build a strong democratic alliance. To him, the sanctions being meted to Niger is taking its grave toll on the innocent citizens, especially women and children, and as such should be discouraged.
Condemning plans by some member states under military rule to form their own union and urging ECOWAS to do everything possible to nip the move in the bud, Omonu stressed the need for the Community to build confidence and credibility towards actualising such development initiatives as common border, common currency among a few others.
“There are strong resolutions that need to be pursued to logical conclusion so that they can see the light of day, e.g., the issue of common currency.
“The coming on board of a common currency in 2027 as planned will be a big boost; when I can could go to Benin Republic with my ECO and buy whatever I need to buy and return to Nigeria,” he said.