Security analyst Dr. Emmanuel Sowate has issued a strong cautionary call to Ghanaian politicians, advising them to learn from the recent spate of coups in neighboring countries to prevent a similar incident at home.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Dr. Sowate asserted that political leaders must recognise that reckless governance, abuse of power, the siphoning of state resources, and a “winner-takes-all” political culture are the fundamental seeds that germinate into military takeovers.
The analyst emphasized that leaders must embrace accountability and transparency, warning against taking the populace for granted.
He specifically detailed the rationale behind military intervention: “Before the military stages a coup, they check the temperature in the civilian population. Sometimes, civilians complain bitterly of corruption, the stealing of state resources by our leaders without accountability. The military then stages a coup to bring the desired stability,” Dr. Sowate explained.
He noted that when the military perceives citizens are deeply frustrated and lack faith in accountable leadership, they may “step in to give them what they want.”
Dr. Sowate stressed that the disconnect between the austerity preached by leaders and their personal lavish lifestyles fuels public anger and mistrust.
“Our political leaders must therefore be accountable to the people… If you claim there is difficulty and so Ghanaians should tighten their seatbelts, yet your lifestyle is the opposite of what you claimed, they would be angry,” he cautioned. “Imagine you claim there is difficulty and yet, you have a personal driver, a cleaner, live in a gated community and are living in flamboyance; then they get agitated. You also create an environment for mistrust.”
Responding to the recent coup in Guinea-Bissau, Dr. Sowate linked poor governance to security vulnerabilities, noting that hardship born from corruption, abuse of power, and poor governance is an avenue through which people are easily recruited into terrorist groups.
He also specifically addressed the ongoing illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) menace, indicating that the failure to curb it is compounded by the alleged involvement of some politicians and senior government officials who pretend to be fighting it.
Dr. Sowate argued that maintaining national stability and accountability requires a collective effort.
“The Media must play its watchdog role by “demanding answers and probing into issues and exposing corruption. Religious Leaders must also be active by “demanding answers into the source of wealth of their members,” arguing that this forms part of the process of building stability in the country.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
