Ensure good governance to avoid violent takeovers - Obasanjo to Africa leaders

A former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned African leaders who fail to ensure peaceful democratic processes and good governance to be ready for violent takeovers.

He, therefore, urged African governments to work hard towards improvement in governance and transition systems, adding that "those who prevent peaceful change of government must be prepared for violent change that would ensue".

"When you drive people to the wall, they develop a desperate feeling that they would rather die than continue.

And when you have that situation then anything can happen and you must be prepared for whatever happens," the former President and retired Army General, added.

Mr Obasanjo was speaking at an African Youth and Governance Convergence (AYGC) conference at Mankessim in the Central Region yesterday.

Sixty-five participants from 27 African countries, including Canada and the US are attending the conference aimed at empowering the youth to actively participate in governance of their respective countries.

Challenges

The former President said it was disturbing that bad leadership and governance had been Africa's problems over the years, leading most countries on the continent down the path of underdevelopment.  

Touching on recent coups d’etat in the sub-region, Mr Obasanjo described the happenings as indicative of bad governance in the region.

"What we have in West Africa today is not just unconstitutional change of governments that will transition to civilian government now; no.

“I visited one of such countries not long ago and after two nights, I came out with the feeling that the young boys in charge of government currently are not thinking of transitioning in three years, five years or even in 10 years.

“They are thinking of a generation.

They believe they require a generation to bring about the necessary change colonialism, neo-colonialism and bad governance had visited on their respective countries," he said.

The former President said leadership in the region was not in the best of shapes.

Under development

Mr Obasanjo further said that after 60 years and over, many African countries had put colonialism behind them and with slave trade ending over 150 years ago, Africa could no longer give excuses for its underdevelopment.

He also said it was worrying that armed robbery, arms trafficking, human trafficking and drug trafficking and money laundering were gaining grounds in many countries in the sub-region.

Mr Obasanjo said these, coupled with generally poor leadership and governance, had resulted in the state of lawlessness in most countries, making life unbearable for many.

The former President, therefore, said Africans, both on the continent and in the diaspora, must work together to ensure good governance to effect necessary changes and make life meaningful for the people.

He said many African countries had failed after independence because they did not understand the freedom in the context of global economic and socio-politico dynamics.

“This is coupled with mismanagement of our countries' diversity and the marginal education of our people has contributed significantly to the continent’s complex developmental problems,” Mr Obasanjo added.

He commended the African Union (AU) for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative and called for intensified region trade to promote economic growth of the continent.

The former President also urged the youth to be inquisitive and proactive, be positively disruptive and responsibly radical and non-conformists, adding that they must deploy appropriate technology to bring about the needed change in their respective countries.

Advice

The Omanhen of Mankessim Traditional Area, Osagyefo Amanfo Edu, advised the youth to maximise the use of technology for the development of their communities and countries.

The President of the AYGC conference, Aissatou Bella Bah, said it was time to remove all barriers that hindered the development of the youth, particularly girls.