ECOWAS told to upscale public education on protocols

Political analysts and watchers in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital, have called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to upscale public education on its protocols for better understanding by the people in the sub-region.

The people in the sub-region ought to be conversant and understand the ideals and protocols upon which the ECOWAS was founded, they said.

Reacting to the political instability in Niger in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr James Obeng, a political analyst, said the people must have a sense of ownership of the protocols and activities of ECOWAS and support them in the supreme interest of the sub-region.

“If anything happens in a member state, it has a devastating effect on all of us. It is, therefore, imperative for all of us to understand and support the enforcement of the protocols to preserve and consolidate the gains Africa has made in democracy,” Mr Obeng said.

Mr Raphael Ahenu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), a human rights and media advocacy organisation, said: “I think the bloc must sit up and be proactive enough. They must not sit down for anything nasty to happen before they take action.”

While condemning the political instability and unconstitutional rule in Niger, Mr Ahenu said attempts by ECOWAS to deploy military force would worsen the situation.

“Some of the current happenings in Niger, being reported by the media is thought provoking. ECOWAS must not take any hasty decision, and instead continue to use diplomatic approaches in tackling the insurgency in the supreme interest of the sub-region”, Mr Sadik Seidu, a teacher and social commentator, stated.

Source: GNA