Education

KDU VC, dons condemn, address resurgence of coup d’état in 21st Century

The vice chancellor of KolaDaisi University, Ibadan (KDUI), Professor Adeniyi Olatunbosun, as well as other university teachers have condemned in totality the resurgence of coup d’état in the West African sub-region and Central Africa, saying its occurrence either as a check or a balance calls for critical analysis.

The VC spoke at a maiden and special academic discourse in commemoration of the 91st birthday of the founder and chancellor of the institution, Chief Kola Daisi with the topic ‘Resurgence of Coup D’etat in West African States.’

Speaking further, he said that “It is obvious that a reawakening of the military takeover which was hitherto considered a phenomenal in the early 1960s and 70s, is now taking its toll among the French speaking and West African countries.

“It actually started like a child’s play until it became contagious and counted up to five from 2020 to September 2023.”

He noted that the resurgence of coup d’etat in the West African states by young military officers in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger in the last three years is a condemnable development which every advocate of democracy must stand against.

According to him, of major significance are its effects on governance, legal and institutional structures, diplomatic relations, social, political and economic wellbeing of the sub region.

Despite the fact that democracy is acclaimed globally as a variable form of government, he claimed that its performance, widely by leaders, is abysmally low in many African countries.

He added that over the years, democracy and democratic rule in some countries had brought about more pain than gain, poverty more than prosperity.

He warned Africans not to allow their territories to be turned to corridors of coup d’état under any guise whatsoever, saying that modern governance ethics sees coup d’état as an aberration and a cancer that must be expunged.

He, therefore, submitted that there is no justification for coup d’état in this 21st Century, noting that “as the dark clouds hover some West Coast and Central Africa, the rule of guns is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and reprehensible.”

Speaking about the discourse, he noted that the rationale behind it was to address why West Africa had had so many coups; what could be done to revive democracies that are dying in the sub-region and suggest therapies to prevent more coup d’etat in order to avoid a returning to the old era of military incursions which comes with all manners of decadence, ignominy, impunity, oppression, desecration of human rights among other vices.

The VC, who presided over the discourse, while congratulating the founder of the institution on the occasion of his 91st birthday, stated that the significance of initiating an academic discourse in the institution is to promote faculty research capabilities and enhance the university’s immense contribution to the trend of development, both at the national and international levels.

The maiden academic discourse also featured discoursers (academic staff) from different departments of the university, among who were Dr Archibonng Okonneh, History and Diplomatic Studies; Dr Adebukola Ayoola, Political Science; Professor Jendele Bungho, Mass Communication; Dr Oyetade Toyese, Economics; Professor Samuel Faboyede, Accounting; Dr Babatunde Agbi, Business Administration and Dr Ekundayo Babatunde from the Faculty of Law.

Other contributors included Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAPs), Prof Tim Odiaka; Dean, Faculty of Arts, Management and Social Sciences(FAMs),Prof Olukolade Odekunle; and Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences, Prof Ganiyu Arinola.

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