By Paul Ejime TO AVOID getting into trouble, the conventional wisdom for many is not to get involved – mind your business. It is also a convenient excuse for pro-establishment or politically correct individuals who dread rocking the boat. Persons with these tendencies abound in all strata of society, corporate establishments, social gro...
By Paul Ejime SINCE FORMING the Alliance of Sahel States, AES, in 2023, followed by their controversial decision to quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2024, the military juntas in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have thrown caution to the wind, ignoring the dire consequences of their ill-advised actions on [&he...
By Paul Ejime BY THREATENING to expel the joint mission of ECOWAS and the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) from Guinea-Bissau, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who has been ruling his country as a dictator, has not only displayed unacceptable hostility but utter disregard to the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State […]
By Paul Ejime ECOWAS IS struggling to whip its wayward member States into line, but the list of leaders undermining the principles and objectives of the 15-nation West African regional economic bloc is growing. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which proclaimed themselves the Alliance of Sahel States, AES, are making every effort to quit, while [&...
By Paul Ejime MOST AFRICAN countries make a ritual of adding the word “Independent” or “Autonomous” to the name of their electoral commissions. In reality, their election umpires are anything but, even where the national constitution guarantees the so-called independence. The “indefinite suspension” of Madam Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, Chairpe...
By Paul Ejime THE ECONOMIC Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is 50 this year. However, for those who care about the future of the organisation once acclaimed as a trailblazer in regional economic integration, especially conflict management and resolution, the situation calls more for a deep reflection and introspection instead of poppi...
By Paul Ejime THE RESULTS of South Africa’s 2024 elections further illustrate what pro-democracy groups have always canvassed – good governance/leadership is tribe and race-blind. South Africa comprises people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions, including Indian South Africans, who constitute 2.7% of the population, t...