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General news for Thursday, October 22, 2020
Source: 3 News
2020-10-22
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP, North Tongu
The minority’s Foreign Affairs spokesman, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to intervene and end the ongoing unrest in Nigeria.
He stated that the chaos in Nigeria is worrying and bad for the image of Africa.
Reports say protesters had been killed in Lagos on Tuesday night, increasing not only discontent against the Nigerian government, but also the silence of the Ghanaian president, who is also chair of the West African subregional body ECOWAS.
In Lagos alone, no fewer than 29 people, including two police officers, were reportedly killed when police fired at protesters in different parts of the state.
In Mushin, 17 people lost their lives during a confrontation between thugs and police officers attached to the Olosan Division.
Mr. Ablakwa, who is also a Member of Parliament for North Tongu, said in a statement that “the Nigerian government must take immediate action to put an end to the atrocities committed against its own citizens. Officials must recognize that the modern architecture of international justice leaves them very little room to escape: they will answer for their brutality and complicity no matter how long it takes.
“African leaders must speak out now and demand an end to the bloodshed, so the AU and ECOWAS must impose severe sanctions. This is not the Africa we want. “
The Executive Director of the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Dr. Chukwuemeka B. Eze, also asked the President of ECOWAS, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to speak about developments in Nigeria and assure the Nigerian people of measures that ECOWAS is taking to deal with the turmoil.
Dr. Eze told reporters on Wednesday October 21 that “the president of Ghana is the current president of ECOWAS, so I would be surprised if he did not participate behind the scenes.”
He added, “but a public statement showing the people of Nigeria that they are not alone should have come out now as diplomacy continues. A public statement will bring reassurance and tell the Nigerian people that they are not alone in this. “
Several other Nigerians and Ghanaians, including high-profile musicians, broadcasters and actors, have also taken to Twitter to voice their doubts about Akufo-Addo’s long silence on the problems occurring in the West African oil-producing nation.
Mr. Abraham Amaliba, a private lawyer and member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said that the long silence of Akufo-Addo is disturbing.
Speaking about this development on TV3’s New Day program on Wednesday, October 21 with Johnnie Hughes, Mr. Amaliba noted that Mr. Akufo-Addo has been too relaxed on this matter.
He said the president should have already issued a statement on the events.
“This president has been sleeping a lot on national and international issues. I should have already spoken, ”Amaliba said.
He further stated that “Ghana should follow the example of this. As politicians, we must ensure that what is happening in Nigeria does not happen.
“We need to take care of the welfare and the needs of the people. Akufo-addo cares for the welfare and needs only of the people of his ethnic clan.
“Never before have we seen in this country where a president has appointed more than 50 people close to him in office. That makes people angry. These are some of the things to avoid.
“The ECOWAS president should already be speaking, he should already be engaged with his counterpart in Nigeria.”
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