The West African region has been inundated with political upheavals, intra-state conflicts, civil wars, military coups and take overs with Ghana’s neighboring country, Burkina Faso as the sub-region’s latest destination of military coups in a spate of two years.
According to the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, the present state of affairs in the sub-region suggests that the Leadership of the sub-regional body, ECOWAS has been sleeping on duty in ensuring a good balance between good governance, economic development and the abuse of fundamental human rights of the citizenry.
The first time MP has therefore called on Ghana to leverage the overwhelming support she garnered to be elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the fourth time in 60 years, to bring sanity into the sub-region.
“This privilege must afford us preventive measures to enforce rule of law, respect for economic and human rights and end the impunity of political leaders who seek to amend their national constitutions or manipulate electoral laws for their political and parochial gains.
“Mr. Speaker, it is fair to suggest that the failure of ECOWAS leadership to take proactive measures in handling errant leaders has contributed to the recurring wave of new coups in the sub-region,” he observed.
Dr. Kingsley Nyarko further suggested that Ghana’s overwhelming endorsement as an agent for peace and security in the sub-region, owing to her contribution to transitioning countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau from war to democratic and constitutional rule, should be leveraged to set conditions for retaining ECOWAS membership.
He said, “Ghana must leverage on this enviable recognition and in harmony with regional treaties and other international standards to promote effective democratic principles and rule of law as a prerequisite for retaining membership and in so doing advance measures to end human rights violations and abuses in several member states.”
The Member of Parliament made these observations on the Floor of Parliament on Thursday, February 10, 2022, when he made a statement dubbed: “Ghana’s Presence on the United Nations Security Council: Its Prospects in Promoting Peace and Security within the Sub-region.”
Having served on the Council for the terms 1962-1963, 1986-1987, and 2006-2007, Ghana will serve a two-year term on the UN Security Council from January 2022 to December 2023 as she makes a return after 15 years.
Ghana was admitted to the Security Council together with other four new Member States Elected to hold a non-permanent seat on the Council, including Albanian, Brazil, Gabon, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
