Stampeding Akufo-Addo to speak on upheaval in Nigeria needless – Antwi-Danso

An International Relations Expert, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso has described as unnecessary the pressure being mounted on the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to speak up on the disturbances ongoing in Nigeria.

He explained Mr Akufo-Addo cannot just make a statement on the issues simply because he is chair of the regional body.

Mr Akufo-Addo has been called upon to break his silence on the happenings in the oil-producing West African nation.

Several other Nigerians and Ghanaians including high-profile musicians, broadcasters and actors have also taken to Twitter to express their misgivings over Mr Akufo-Addo’s long silence.

The Executive Director of the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Dr Chukwuemeka B. Eze, also asked Mr Akufo-Addo to speak on the issues and assure the Nigerian people of the measures ECOWAS is putting in place to deal with the upheaval.

Dr Eze told journalists on Wednesday October 21 that “The Ghanaian president is the current Chair of ECOWAS so I’ll be shocked if he’s not engaging behind the scenes.”

He added “but a public statement that shows the people of Nigeria that they are not alone should have gone out by now while the diplomacy continues. A public statement will provide reassurance and tell the Nigerian people that they are not alone in this”.

Mr Abraham Amaliba, a private legal practitioner and Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the long silence of Mr Akufo-Addo is disturbing.

Speaking on this development on TV3’s New Day program on Wednesday October 21 with Johnnie Hughes, Mr Amaliba noted that Mr Akufo-Addo has been too relaxed on this matter.

He said the President should have by now issued a statement on the happenings.

“This president has been sleeping a lot on national and international issues. He should have spoken by now,” Mr Amaliba said.

He stated further that “Ghana will need to take a cue from this. As politicians we need to ensure that what is happening in Nigeria does not happen.

“We need to take care of the welfare and the needs of the people. Akufo-addo is taking care of the welfare and needs of only the people of his ethnic clan. We have never seen in this country before where a president has appointed over 50 people close to him into office. That angers people. These are some of the things that we need to avoid.

“The president as ECOWAS by now should be speaking, by now should be engaging with his counterpart in Nigeria.”

But speaking in an interview with Berla Mundi on the New Day programme on TV3 Wednesday October 21, Dr Anwti-Danso who is also the Dean, Academic Affairs at Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College said “these things don’t happen in international relations like that. Something happens in another country and all of a sudden President Akufo-Addo opens his mouth. It doesn’t happen in international relations that way.

“The fact that he is ECOWAS chairman does not mean he should open his mouth at every opportunity.

“You and I may not know whether he might have spoken to Buhari already, whether he might have spoken to his peers at the regional level so for Ghanaians to stampede the president to talk is not the best.”

He added “Supposing he talks and the opposition takes it against the Buhari administration or the people say he is supporting the government then what happens? It doesn’t happen like that in international relations.”