African leaders and elder statesmen have warned about the impending collapse of democracy in the continent if urgent and strategic actions are not taken by all stakeholders.
The leaders, including incumbent and former presidents, made the stark observation during the Democracy Dialogue of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana.
The elder statesmen include Nigeria’s former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former president Goodluck Jonathan and President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama.
The dialogue was also attended by the president of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic on Wednesday.
The concern of the elder statesmen followed rising global discuss over threats to democratic values and weakened institutions in the face the authoritarian tendencies.
our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
He also spoke on youth participation in governance, describing it as very encouraging, but emphasisied that for the youth to succeed in governance, they need the wisdom and experience of older people to guide them.
Also speaking, President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, said democracy would not survive unless Africans actively worked to protect and strengthen it.
“Democracy will not survive if we don’t work for it. We need a reset of democracy and governance to ensure accountability. Anybody who wants to serve must be accountable to the people. Our citizens are tired of corruption, misgovernance, and lack of opportunities.”
“To renew democracy, we must strengthen institutions, deliver development, and educate our citizens. We must protect the media and civic space. A free press is democracy’s immune system.
“Democracy dies when citizens lose faith, when leaders abandon integrity, and when institutions succumb to capture. But democracy can be renewed when citizens rise to defend it,” he said.
Credit: Leadership