Hypocrisy of ECOWAS must stop, halt third term agenda by leaders – Academic

Senior political science lecturer at the University of Ghana (UG), Dr. Asah Asante has stated that Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders must stop what he describes as hypocrisy on their part with reference to political leadership.

The military chiefs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are in an ongoing meeting in Accra, Ghana capital which stated on Thursday over the crisis in Niger on the deployment of standby force to Niger.

The Authority of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS as part of decisions at its meeting held in Abuja Nigeria on 10th August 2023 has ordered the deployment of a standby force to Niger.

Meanwhile, the military juntas in Burkina Faso and Mali have said any forcible attempt to restore President Mohamed Bazoum in neighbouring Niger will be seen as a declaration of war on them.

Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey Friday, Dr. Ashanti stated that ECOWAS leaders have been silent on serious issues such as highway robbery, kidnapping among others could be the catalyst for some of the military coups in the sub-region.

“All manner of security in Niger, so these are some the thing are going to impinge upon the activities of West African soldiers who will be marshal there to engage in getting these people out and that is going to open a whole chapter of activities that may not inure to the benefit of the sub-region.

“These are the repercussions, your nationals are going to be affected, you are going to worsen the situation there volatile, the already volatile security situation there. You are going to create enemies for yourself with some of the countries which are already military within the bloc,” Dr. Asante stated.

He continued: “But it’s interesting that ECOWAS wants to go on that way. Sometimes they themselves have created this opportunity for these things to fester. Look at countries within the sub-region which have gone on the route of the third term agenda, changing the constitution and allowing the extension of their tenure and all that. Côte d’Ivoire is a typical example, what did ECOWAS do about that? That hypocrisy on their part must be stopped.”