Gabon: Reps Minority Caucus Condemns Coups In Africa

The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned coups and the growing trend of military adventurism in Africa, blaming it on bad governance, inordinate ambitions and outright disconnect from the citizens.

The position of the Nigerian opposition lawmakers came on the heels of the military coup in Gabon earlier in the week which ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba.

The Caucus in a statement issued by the Leader of the Minority Caucus, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, said it was extremely sad, deeply worrisome, and pathetically shameful that the continent, in the past few years, has witnessed sudden rise in military coups.

Chinda said the military incursions were rolling back the gains of the democratic struggles for the return to civil rule of the late 1980s and 1990s.

“It is totally condemnable that in the past one decade, military putsch has taken place in Sudan, Mali, Tunisia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic and now Gabon. That these countries are in the Western, Northern, and Central regions of Africa, which represents more than half of the entire continent calls for serious concerns and debilitating worries.

“Confronted with the pain and misery foisted by these sit-tight leaders on hapless citizens, who have been going through years and decades of bad governance, collosal economic hardship, serial social deprivation, deep-rooted poverty, deliberate intimidation and corrosive lack, military interventions of any guise will not only be welcomed but celebrated by citizens of these countries.

“Fact is, having suffered long and painful years of total neglect by their leaders through official insensitivity, deliberate class segregation, enforcement of inimical political and economic programmes and other negative decisions and actions, sadly the sound of martial music has become a welcome relief and friend for citizens,” he said.

Chinda wondered why leaders in these countries in their respective bids to achieve inordinate ambitions take decisions and actions to perpetrate themselves in office, and in some cases turn the leadership of their county to “family’s birthright.”

He said the now-frequent coups on the continent is also adduced to the sit-tight obnoxious desires of some of these leaders, who continuously manipulate and compromise the system to achieve their egoistic and undemocratic ambitions.

“Happenings and recent developments on the continent are warning signs of likely dangers ahead, if not immediately checked by doing the right thing. Revolutions begin with seemingly innocuous incidents but before anyone realizes it, things spiral out of hands.

“Recall how the French revolution and Arab spring began. With the vagaries of personal and national challenges that has bedevilled many countries, any ambitious group of military officers are likely to leverage on the negative situations and foist themselves on the people.

“The precarious situation and numerous challenges that stifled meaningful growth and development in countries that are witnessing military governance calls for urgent, and immediate intervention by other frontline African Leaders, African Union, United Nations and relevant global bodies,” the lawmaker stated.

He warned that, the use and deployment of brute force, and aggression in whatever guise is not the solution to the problems at hand and condemned any plans by either the AU, UN, or any global association to use force or coercion in restoring democratic governance in Gabon, Niger Republic or any other country in Africa.

“We urge all leaders in Africa to pursue, and enthrone good governance. This is the only panecea towards arresting, and stopping unnecessary military interruptions in constitutional democracy across the continent. This is long overdue and absolutely necessary.

“When leaders in Africa begin to meet the expectations of people through selfless service, resourceful and responsive delivery of good governance, adherence to rule of law, and protection of persons and properties, military incursions will definitely take the back sit,” the Caucus leader added.