MPs are the first casualties, we will be jobless when coups occur - Ablakwa

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has cited reasons coups and military overthrows are not supported by parliament.

According to him, the legislature becomes the first "casualty" as it loses its relevance in the event of coups.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile, Samuel Ablakwa noted that parliament was against a proposed military intervention from Ghana by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to help reestablish democracy in Niger.

“I must say we are all opposed to military takeovers, nobody supports coups. When these coups occur, we in Parliament are the first casualties. All coup announcements, you will hear the physiology – parliament is hereby dissolved.

“We will instantly become unemployed, we will be jobless so I cannot come here and speak in favour of military takes.”

He thus noted that because the West African States have committed to strengthening their democratic credentials, democracy must be put first in Niger's coup.

The Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament stated that West African nations do not want ECOWAS to go back to the days of coups when military juntas held sway over the political system.

He explained that the people ought to have the authority to choose their leaders and to remove them when the time comes.

Meanwhile, ECOWAS policy analyst, E.L Bensah Jnr, cautioned against military intervention in restoring constitutional rule in Niger.

He asserted that the conditions in Niger do not support the move.

According to him, if the military intervention should be carried out in Niger, it will mean that ECOWAS member states will be fighting among themselves since the junta in Niger has aliens.

“The condition on the ground for such an intervention has not been favourable over these past weeks. In all the analysis we have been doing and observations we have been making. Here are people and military junta in power supported by the people on the ground.

“Even if not everybody in the country, they have a majority or some level of followership on the streets and all that. What are their sentiments, anti-colonialism, anti-imperialism kinds of notion are the things they write on the placards,” Bensah Jnr stated.

“So that simply tells us that while, coups are not justifiable and should not be encouraged. We should also be doing something to ensure that there are things that lead to it. When we don’t do it, we wouldn’t get to where we are currently," he further explained.

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