Samuel Asare Akuamoah, Deputy Chair of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has emphasized the critical importance of robust public engagement in safeguarding democracy with the current uproar surrounding the Niger junta and ECOWAS’s prevalent intervention.
In a recent meeting with officials from the Public Affairs Engagement Department of Parliament, Mr. Akuamoah raised concerns about the potential vulnerability of democratic systems to undemocratic changes, citing the paradox that even if authorities marshal forces to counteract coups or other forms of undemocratic upheaval, the people’s support for such actions could ultimately determine their success.
He underlined the necessity for a heightened level of awareness among the general populace and stressed the need for every individual on the street to truly understand the value of protecting democracy and preventing its overthrow.
“So we need to take our mandate seriously and raise the level of awareness of the ordinary person on the street to be able to appreciate why we must protect our democracy and ensure that our democracy is never overthrown,” he cautioned.
Drawing attention to the existence of violent extremist groups within the sub-region, Mr. Akuamoah highlighted their tactics of exploiting public dissatisfaction with the government and its policies. He expressed concerns that these groups often present themselves as viable alternatives to address the challenges that the government and its appointed officials seem unable to tackle effectively.
Akuamoah’s comments implied that unless the public’s trust in the government’s ability to address their concerns is restored, the appeal of these extremist groups could continue to grow.
“There are violent extremist groups in the sub-region fighting and telling the ordinary people to allow them to solve the problems that government and its appointees cannot solve. And if these extremist groups are winning the confidence of ordinary people, we need to raise the bar of public engagement,” he said,
Meanwhile, Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security has assured members of the West African bloc of resorting to military action in response to the junta’s actions. He stated that the regional organization possesses ample military resources and affirmed its commitment to the chosen course of action.
In response to calls advocating for a reconsideration of the decision to undertake military intervention, Ambassador Musah dismissed such appeals as lacking sufficient justification. His assertions were delivered during the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff’s Extraordinary Meeting held in Accra.
