Niger coup: Ghana will suffer from hosting ECOWAS army chiefs meeting – NDC

NDC activist Bernard Oduro Takyi has kicked against the Committee of Chiefs of the Defence Staff of ECOWAS states holding an extraordinary meeting about fighting the Military Junta in Niger.

The meeting which is happening at Burma Camp, Accra, aims to finalise plans for deploying a standby force to Niger and also explore diplomatic avenues to resolve the crisis in the African country.

Speaking on Dwaboase on TV XYZ, Oduro Takyi also known as B.O.T argued that the meeting was to plan for a possible military intervention to topple the military junta and restore democratic rule in Niger, adding that it is a threat to Ghana’s safety.

At its Extraordinary Meeting in Abuja on the Niger situation last Thursday, the Authority of Heads of State and Government directed the Committee of Chiefs of the Defence Staff to immediately activate the ECOWAS Standby Force with all its elements.

The meeting, held at the instance of the ECOWAS Chairman and President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was attended by nine Heads of State, including President Akufo-Addo.

Oduro Takyi who was not happy about the development called on National Peace Council to intervene so Niger does not launch an attack on Ghana.

“The war now is between Russia and the West so if you rise against Niger and try to use force, you’ll endanger Ghana. Why did they not meet in Nigeria for that meeting but Ghana?” he quizzed.

His comments come after the Presbyterian Church of Ghana expressed its disapproval of Ghana’s involvement in contributing troops to the West African Standing Force to fight the military junta in Niger.

The church says it would be wrong for the government to take a unilateral decision on the matter without broad consultation.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic, the Clerk of the General Assembly of the church, Rev. Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, said coups d’état, which were becoming a rampant phenomenon in West Africa, should be a concern for all, stressing that it pointed to an urgent demand for African leaders to provide quality leadership for their citizens.

“Coup is not a good thing, and for it to happen in three countries coming from West Africa is an unfortunate thing,” Rev. Dr Odonkor said.