Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, says Ghana, which has remained peaceful for nearly three decades must help its neighbors within the West African sub-region and across the continent to eschew coups.
He said the country must be “unapologetic” about its campaign for peace on the continent.
Delivering the 2022 State of the Nation address, the President said although turmoil in Ghana’s neighboring countries and the economic challenges in the country may have recently triggered a national conversation about a possible coup in Ghana, such must not even be conceived as evidence abounds that democracy remains Ghana’s best bet for development and progress.
“There is work to be done on building our institutions, but our democracy is worth fighting for. It is up to us to find a way to accommodate each other and our differences to make things work for the benefit of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
The ECOWAS chairperson said the West African body’s zero tolerance for military coup stance must be supported and complied with, as permitting military coups only do more harm than good to citizens in the affected countries.
“Long and bitter experience led ECOWAS to its current stance of zero tolerance for military coups. We, in Ghana, know the cost of instability; it leads to the exodus of our artisans and professionals, and the emptying of teachers from our schools.”
Nana Akufo-Addo said Ghana, as one of the beacons of hope and shinning examples of peaceful democracy cannot “be an island of peace and stability in a region of turmoil.”
“We do not aspire to be prosperous in the midst of want and poverty. We want a stable and prosperous Ghana in a stable and prosperous Region. We should use our Chairmanship of ECOWAS, our membership of the AU, and as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council to work towards achieving these goals,” he stressed.