General News of Saturday, 4 November 2017
Source: citifmonline.com
2017-11-04
Former president John Mahama
Former President John Mahama has observed that the era of coup d’états is gradually fading away in Africa.
This according to him can largely be attributed to the acceptance of democracy in most of the countries within the continent.
“In Africa, the era of military coups seems to be fading into distant memory with the upsurge of democratically-elected leaders,” he said.
Some African countries including Ghana, experienced a number of coups with the perpetrators often accusing those they forcefully takeover from with corruption, mismanagement and bad governance.
In Ghana, the last forceful government takeover was led by Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings in 1979, who later placed Ghana under a constitutional rule.
Prior to that a number of coups had occurred.
On February 24, 1966, Ghana first president, Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown in a coup led by Joseph Arthur Ankrah.
A year after, another coup was triggered in 1967 but failed to achieve its objective.
Kofi Abrefa Busia, a Prime Minister of Ghana was also kicked out in a coup on January 13, 1972 led by Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
Kutu Acheampong again on July 5, 1978 dethroned Fred Akuffo, a soldier and politician and served as the head of state at the time.
In 2016, Presidential guard officers in Burkina Faso ejected the country’s leader few weeks to their election.
The coup derailed a delicate peace process in Burkina Faso, which at the time was preparing to head to the polls for a vote aimed at restoring democracy after last year’s overthrow of long time leader Blaise Compaore.
This action was widely condemned by leaders within the sub-region.
Former President John Mahama who gave a lecture on Thursday during a graduation ceremony at the Institute of Security Studies in Abuja, Nigeria, said although democratic governance is adored in many parts of the world, it also has its downside.
Speaking on the topic “Challenges of democracy and development in Africa,” Mr. Mahama noted that: “while democratic and open governments are held up as the best system and dictatorships are frowned upon, I wish to state with emphasis, that there is no ‘one size fits all’ system of governance.”
“Democracies are generally preferred because of the protection of human rights, transparent and accountable governance, open government, free speech and stability.
But democratic systems also have the downside of high cost of periodic elections, the influence of special interests on elected leaders and the general lack of a sharp national focus, in some cases, because of the frequent changing of leadership and change of national development plans anytime such changes happen, and also the generally slow nature of the decision- making process.”
He also said democratic governance is being undermined by lack of jobs which he said is a threat to stability.
“It is also important to look at what the growing threats to democratic consolidation in Africa are. These include lack of jobs for a fast-growing population, inequality, election fatigue and mistrust of the political elite, and lately, the effects of election disputes. Africa currently has the fastest growing population in the world.
It is said that persons under 35 constitute about 70% of the African population. With improved educational outcomes, the challenge of finding jobs in our economies to absorb these teeming numbers of young people is a dire threat to the stability of the continent.”
“In Ghana, the entire public service is made up of 600,000 people out of a population of 27 million.
We have 50,000 graduates every year coming out of the universities and other tertiary institutions and hoping to find work in the public service.
This is difficult. But that is why we need to equip these young people with entrepreneurial skills to see themselves not only as employees, but potential employers, and to give them the skills that enables them to go out into the world and set up their own businesses,” the former president added.
