Reps condemn resurgence of coups in West Africa

The House of Representatives on Wednesday condemned the resurgence of military coups in the West African subregion, warning that the development posed great dangers to democratic values.

The lawmakers who expressed grave concerns over the development, however, called for international condemnation of the series of successful and attempted coups in the subregion in recent times.

The House, which was presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila also recommended the imposition of sanctions against countries where such undemocratic methods had been used to upstage a people’s government.

The House resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance on the ‘Need to condemn increasing resort to military coups in the West African subregion’, sponsored by Hon. Julius Ihonvbere.

In his lead debate, Ihonvbere recalled that there had been at least four coups in the subregion in the last six months alone.

He added that among the most recent cases were Burkina Faso and Mali.

“These coups violate the constitutional rights of the people and subvert democratic processes, as they can erode the achievements so far recorded in rebuilding good governance across the subregion,” he noted.

Hon. Ihonvbere further noted that if the trend was allowed to gain traction, the subregion could return to the dark era of “inconsistencies in governance.”

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He said: “This culture must not be allowed to continue. We have to speak out now else history will not forgive us.”

He observed that “with high apprehension the frightening emerging trend of Military coups in the West African sub-region, the most recent coup in Burkina Faso being part of a resurgence of ‘’a Coup Culture’’ in West Africa.

“The House is further notes that for the fourth time in only six months, violence has facilitated the transfer of power in West Africa with Guinea, Mali, (twice in the past seventeen months) and Chad seeing new leaders emerge from their respective Militaries, and Burkina Faso a few days ago, witnessed the overthrow of President Roch Kabore.

“The House also notes that this illegal takeover of power from democratically elected government violates several national constitutions, international conventions and protocols established by multilateral organizations, donors and development partners.

“The House is aware that since Nigeria, the traditional powerhouse in the sub-region transited from military to civilian rule in 1999, there has been a strong sense that the days of Military coups are effectively over, but with this emerging trend, that positive trajectory is now being reversed with the rather quick successive coups in the aforementioned countries.

“The House is alarmed that coups subvert political processes, promote tensions and violence, suffocate democratic spaces, suppresses basic freedoms, contains civil society and promotes corrupt undemocratic governance.

“The House is convinced that if the trend is not immediately and firmly checked, it could erode the democratic achievements made thus far, distort the emerging culture of constitutionalism, and promote opportunistic and undemocratic actors in the region, and by extension the continent,” he noted.

In his remarks, House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu pointed out that the lesson in the coups was that African democratically-elected leaders must wake up and deliver good governance to their people.

He noted that bad governance would lead to frustration and resentment among the citizenry, allowing them to fall to the temptation of supporting undemocratic change of government.

On his part, Majority Chief Whip, Hon. Mohammed Monguno observed that the worst democratic government would always be better than the best dictatorship as the freedom enjoyed in the former remained unequalled.

To this end, the House urged civil society organisations across the sub-region and internationally to condemn coups, support civil society, political parties, and parliaments to work for the immediate restoration of democratic governance in the affected nations.

The lawmakers also called on the United Nations and its agencies as well as the international community to impose total sanctions on those countries where coups d’état have taken place in West Africa.