Bill Godson Ocloo
Security analyst and Executive Director for the African Center for Human Security and Emergency Management (ACHSEM), Bill Godson Ocloo is calling for a restructuring of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to enable the regional bloc deliver on its mandate successfully.
His call follows the recent announcement by three francophone West African countries, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso of their exit from the regional body to form a new bloc.
According to him, the decision by the three nations to leave ECOWAS may have been informed by the increased suffering of their populations as a result of the failure of ECOWAS to protect these countries' citizens from the shackles of imperialism and the attacks on the population by Jihadist groups over the years.
"It looks as though ECOWAS has failed these nations in the protection of their citizens and their territorial integrity - ECOWAS is supposed to be championing the course of its member nations, but what is happening and has happened over the years is that ECOWAS has failed to deliver on its mandate to member countries resulting in these countries losing confidence in the bloc," Ocloo indicated.
He is of the view that the structures governing ECOWAS should be relooked at to ensure that other member countries do not feel left behind in terms of the regional grouping activities.
The ACHSEM Executive Director said if nothing is done about the current situation, it could lead to other member countries falling away from ECOWAS.
Ocloo added that ECOWAS has for some time now been perceived as working in the interest of the West to the detriment of its member countries and citizenry and not until that perception is changed, "we will continue to witness these upheavals and breakaways.
He advised African leaders and for that matter ECOWAS to reassess their priorities, and focus on the betterment of the lives of their citizens, their nation's economic well-being, and the security of their countries and not their own selfish and parochial interests.
"African leaders must think beyond their mouths and stomachs- we must change our attitudes to doing things on the continent. The welfare and security of our nations should be paramount on every leader's agenda instead of the corruption and mismanagement that has become the norm in Africa", he said.
According to the ACHSEM Executive Director, the myriad of challenges facing the African continent were a result of leadership failure and the wanton corruption that has bedeviled the economies over the years.
He therefore called on the assembly of Heads of State and other relevant institutions to map out strategies to curb these menaces if Africa is to regain its rightful position in world affairs.
"If we do not right the wrongs of the past, we will as a continent continue to wallow in poverty and backwardness and posterity will never forgive us," Ocloo said.
