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Coup: Falana urges ECOWAS to approve 2-term tenure for presidents

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8 months ago

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Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana

Coup: Falana urges ECOWAS to approve 2-term tenure for presidents

Human rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) has urged leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to approve a tenure of two terms for presidents without further delay.

He said this had become imperative in this era of military coup d’etat across West Africa.

Speaking at the opening of the maiden West Africa Civil Society Week (WACSW23) in Lagos, he said:” A tenure of two terms should be approved by ECOWAS for presidents in the region. In 2015, it was opposed by Togo while in 2022 Senegal, and Cote D’Ivoire did the same.”

The WACSW23 is a 3-day conference, which ends August 31, was organised by the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) in collaboration with the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS), aims to delve into the pivotal role of civil society in safeguarding democratic values, consolidating regional development and navigating the complex contemporary landscape.

He also urged the ECOWAS to take advantage of the political crisis in the region to launch the “ECO” currency.

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He said:”The 30 years struggle by ECOWAS, to establish a regional currency, ECO to promote trade and development in the region have been hijacked with the collaboration of some leaders, particularly President Emmanuel Macron of France who has taken over the responsibility of establishing and even printing the new currency. This still shows colonial influence. We must take advantage of the political crisis in West Africa to launch the ECO as the currency for the region.”

Frowning at military intervention in West Africa,he said: We don’t want military rule, our development will be constrained. There is urgent need to address tenure elongation in West Africa.What we call rule of law has become rule of the rich; rule of the few,” he added.

The human rights lawyer urged the regional body to end the reckless exploration of mineral resources of African countries by colonialists.

Executive director of WACSI, Nana Afadzinu, said civil societies want democracy and good governance. She said they oppose coup d’états and prefer constitutional rule and good electoral governance for peace, security, prosperity and collective well-being.

“Civil Society and the enhanced and strengthened civic space that we advocate for to ensure sustainable development through good governance; transparency and accountability; social, economic, and political development; inclusivity and participation; social justice, social accountability and social protection; gender equality and non-discrimination- all to ensure peace and prosperity in West Africa, is under a major threat- and we are in a dilemma.

“We still face resourcing issues- COVID exposed the weakness of our institutions, structural patriarchy continues to be an obstacle and the inequitable power in international development strangles our growth and facilitates civic space constraints.

“ECOWAS, once our beacon of hope among regional economic bodies on the continent– a pace-setter and norm setter – seems to have lost the trust of its citizens and waned considerably in moral authority. We want our ECOWAS back- back to what it promised to be- that ECOWAS that wanted to be one of peoples and not states.,” she said.

Coup: Falana urges ECOWAS to approve 2-term tenure for presidents

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Man who has lived in America for over 13 years says he’s tired, wants to return home

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1 day ago

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May 1, 2024

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Man who has lived in America for over 13 years says he’s tired, wants to return home

After 13 years of residing in the United States of America, a Kenyan man has expressed his strong desire to return to his homeland.

The man, whose identity remains undisclosed, reportedly relocated to the US in 2011, initially serving in the military for four years before transitioning into corporate employment.

During his time in the US, he held various positions, including a deployment in Afghanistan, and was earning a substantial salary of $12,000 per month.

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However, despite the financial security, he found himself grappling with a sense of unfulfillment, realizing that he was sacrificing his most valuable asset (time) for a pursuit that left him with little satisfaction.

In December of the previous year, he reportedly resigned from his corporate job and delve into entrepreneurship, seeking freedom and autonomy in his endeavors.

Man who has lived in America for over 13 years says he’s tired, wants to return home

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Africa

23 killed in violent clashes over cattle in South Sudan

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2 days ago

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April 30, 2024

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At least 23 people were killed and 44 were injured in violent clashes between different ethnic groups over cattle theft in South Sudan, a local official said on Tuesday.

Heavily armed cattle thieves attacked a village in the state of Eastern Equatoria, a local administration spokesman said.

Hundreds of cattle were stolen during the raid.

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Seven children and five women were also abducted during the attack.

Members of the Murle ethnic group were armed with machine guns and other rapid-fire weapons, he said.

The latest incident comes after other, deadly attacks relating to cattle theft in South Sudan.

Several ethnic groups in South Sudan breed cattle, with farming not only key for economic reasons and critical to prosperity, but also deeply embedded in their culture.

23 killed in violent clashes over cattle in South Sudan

(dpa/NAN)

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Africa

Electricity crisis forces Energy minister to resign

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5 days ago

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April 28, 2024

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Electricity crisis forces Energy minister to resign

Following weeks of disruption, electricity supply has been finally restored in most cities across Sierra Leone after a part payment was made for the $48m (£38m) utility bill it owed to a Turkish company, Karpowership.

The payment of the sum of $18m comes as the country’s energy minister, Kanja Sesay announced his exit from government, saying he took full responsibility for the crisis.

Most electricity supplies to the capital, Freetown, is generated from a Turkish ship floating off the country’s coast.

Last week, Karpowership said it had severely cut supplies to the city, from 60 megawatts to 6 megawatt, citing backlog of unpaid bills.

Residents of the country’s main cities have been going for days on end without any power and hospitals have also been affected.

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At least one infant has died because of a lack of power, while medics have been using mobile phones to provide light as they carry out procedures, Reuters news agency quotes a doctor as saying.

“How do you iron your clothes, how do you make your food, how do you go to sleep? We pay our electricity bills so I don’t see why we should be forced to live like this,” BBC quoted a second-year engineering student in Freetown, Fatmata Gassim as saying.

Following the resignation of Sesay, the office of President Julius Maada Bio said the energy ministry would now fall under the direct supervision of the president.

Karpowership previously cut supplies to Sierra Leone in September over unpaid bills.

It is one of the world’s biggest floating power plant operators, with several African states relying on it for electricity.

In October, it briefly cut power to Guinea-Bissau, saying it had no option “following a protracted period of non-payment”.

Electricity crisis forces Energy minister to resign

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