Following President Akufo-Addo’s declaration that unconstitutional changes of government in Africa will become a thing of the past during his speech at the AU and ECOWAS Reflection Forum on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Accra recently, Nana Obiri Boahen, a private legal practitioner, has responded.
Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen asserts that it would be intellectually suicide to claim that coups d’état will never occur again.
Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen made the following submission during an interview: “It will not go away if we can not establish fair and impartial policies and Democrats do not act like Democrats.” It will be a thing of the past based on conditions.”
He made the argument that leadership was the reason behind Africa’s predicament, citing instances where African leaders let their people down.
“African leaders, intellectuals, and academicians have let their people down. If all Africans were to vote to elect a black or white man to manage their affairs, about 99.99% would vote for the white man.”
Lawyer Nana Oboahen acknowledged that coups have terrible repercussions, but that the leaders must act morally.
According to him, certain coups d’états are justified while others are not.
He claimed that many African nations, including South Africa and Nigeria, have become entrenched in corruption.
Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen urged the AU and the ECOWAS to publicly denounce some heads of state who have remained in office for extended periods of time, such as President Macky Sall of Senegal and President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast.