President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, on Friday, September 29, 2023 officially declared the High -Level interactive Parliamentary Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament in Winneba, opened with a call on the sub- regional body to seek answers to the attempted confiscation of democracy by elites and the wanton desire to destroy democracy by terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs in the region.The ECOWAS Seminar being hosted by Ghana and in Winneba to be precise is being attended by all the Members (MPs) of the ECOWAS Parliament, officials of the ECOWAS Commission as well as other key stakeholders. Delivering the Keynote address at the opening of the seminar under the theme: “The Challenges of Tenure Elongation and Unconstitutional Regime Change in West Africa- The Critical Role of ECOWAS Parliament”, President Akufo Addo noted that there was the need for the sub-regional community to work harder to entrench the principles of democratic accountability in the citizenry, adding that democracy in West Africa was in danger.He charged members of the fifth ECOWAS Parliament to deliberate carefully on issues to find lasting solutions to the emerging re-militarization of governance in member countries of the body.President Akufo Addo grieved over the recent spate of subversionist attempts by some elites to use legal antics to manipulate constitutional rules as well as subjugating institutions of their respective countries with the sole aim of remaining in power.According to him, another key threat is the emerging militarization of governance with the intrusion, once again, of the military on the political scene without the mandate of the people on whose behalf they purport to act.He stated that the sub-region cannot run away from the fact that it is confronted with a difficult economic, political, social and security situation.Nana Akufo Addo described the prevalent situation of coup d’états in four ECOWAS member countries as bitter and implacable creating a state of palpable anxiety and tension in every corner of the region, raising the phantom of regional instability which was thought to have been banished forever.He said that the only legitimacy for any leader is through a mandate that is given freely by the people in a fair, peaceful and transparent election.Ghana’s President called on the ECOWAS Legislators to ensure that the expected outcomes of the seminar will help understand better the root causes of democratic regression and political instability in the region in order to better address them and speak against the extension of presidential term limits by some leaders to strengthen their grip of power, a situation he said result in discontent amongst the populace and create fertile grounds for military interventions to disingenuously feed on.
STORY BY: CHARLES BAAH ABOAGYE -ISD
Last modified: September 30, 2023
