By Ken Afor
Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that incessant military coups in some African countries can be traced to bad governance.
Obasanjo said this during an event on public service and governance at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library with members of Africa for Africa Youth Initiative from Botswana, Benin, Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
It would be recalled that in July, the government of President Mohammed Bazoum was toppled by some members of the presidential guard.
Also, barely a month after, the continent witnessed another coup in Gabon. The military in the country had annulled the election which President Ali Bongo won according to the electoral body.
Weighing in on the matter, the former military general while reflecting on the reasons given by the affected countries including Mali and Niger wondered if their former colonial masters France ever granted full independence to the countries.
Obasanjo who served two consecutive terms in office from 1999 to 2007 queried what then is democracy if the concept has not really delivered dividends to the governed.
His words: “If some of the things coming out from these former French colonial countries are true like the Malians saying they don’t want to have anything to do with France again, one might really be asking if France has ever granted these countries full independence.
“Secondly, we are told that democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people, but you may ask which people? And what does this democracy deliver?”.
The 86-year-old elder statesman while reflecting on the period he was in the dungeon under the late General Sani Abacha, said it was an experience he wouldn’t want anyone to go through.
“On one occasion, I got about a dozen or two boys and girls who have attempted to go across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean. When they told me their story, I wept. When you see and hear that kind of thing, what do you do? Yes, I love democracy, having suffered in the hands of Abacha, I will never love military rule; but if it has to come, what can we do?
“However, we should ask ourselves this question: Do we have conditions that are encouraging these coups on our continent?
“Because if we don’t have the conditions that encourage them, it will not happen, though this does not mean that we must encourage them.”
He urged leaders to create an enabling environment that will make the youths remain in the continent rather than risking their lives in search of greener pastures.
“Why are we allowing the youths to begin the search for liberators beyond the government of the day?
“When I left secondary school, I got five jobs. How many of you will finish university now and have five jobs waiting? You will be lucky to have even one or two. Think of a situation where somebody said there will be job creation, there will be employment, there will be wealth creation. You will say wow, this sounds interesting, but can it be done? Let me make it clear that I don’t support coups because personally, I have been a victim,” he added.
