The Co-founder and Board Chair of Afrobarometer, Prof. Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi has criticized the recent leadership of ECOWAS for not actively stemming military intrusions in democracies within the sub-region.
The Professor of Political Science observed that ECOWAS demonstrated instrumentality in checking political excesses in member countries during the 2000s, and wonders why the current crop of leaders are unable to follow through with same.
Speaking at the opening of a CDD-Ghana convened stakeholder engagement on governance, democracy, and human rights in Africa, Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said both the ECOWAS Heads of State and the ECOWAS Parliament have the duty to ensure such acts are stopped.
“The blame should be placed on the current leaders of ECOWAS. When John Agyekum Kufour and the Obasanjo’s were there, ECOWAS was more proactive in addressing threats to democracy. The current crop of leadership has not been so strong.”
“I think we as citizens have also relaxed. There is an ECOWAS Parliament. There are representatives from our respected legislatures. It is highly sorted after. For all the investments made into these officers, we have to be interested in what they show for it. We have to hold MPs from our various countries who are representatives at such levels accountable.”
Source: citifmonline
