Gov Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has ordered the state guidance counsellor to take over the psychological rehabilitation of Miss Mmesomma Joy Ejikeme.

Mmesoma has been in the news after she admitted falsifying her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result to enable her to earn scholarship grants.

The directive was contained in a letter to the principal of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Nnewi, where Mmesoma is a student.

Soludo, in the letter, directed immediate commencement of psychological counselling and therapy session for Mmesoma. It was gathered that the head of the state counselling unit is a professor of clinical psychology.

The letter was signed by the state commissioner for education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, and was done in accordance with the recommendations of the panel constituted to investigate the matter.

A part of the letter read, “The directive is in line with one of the recommendations of the committee set up by Anambra State government to investigate the matter, following the parading of the fake result which elicited interests and generated controversies and misgivings to the general public.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

He was elected at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), that held in Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

In a statement issued by Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, said the election was a unanimous endorsement that signals the trust and confidence reposed in him by his counterparts.

The statement said that President Tinubu, who is the latest entrant into the exclusive club of Heads of State in West Africa, enthusiastically accepted the honour, on behalf of Nigeria, with a solemn pledge to bear the responsibility of the office and run an inclusive administration of the regional organisation.

He, however, warned that the threat to peace in the sub-region had reached an alarming proportion with terrorism and emerging pattern of military takeover that now demand urgent and concerted actions.

He noted that insecurity and creeping terrorism were stunting the progress and development of the region.

The President called for a collective action from member-states, pledging that under his leadership, frameworks would be harmonized to actualize the dreams of ECOWAS.

“On peace and security, the threat has reached an alarming level, and needs urgent actions in addressing the challenges. Indeed, without a peaceful environment, progress and development in the region will continue to remain elusive. In this regard, we must remain committed to the utilisation of all regional frameworks at our disposal to address the menace of insecurity,” he declared.

President Tinubu noted that ECOWAS had developed a security architecture, which he noted, “covers a wide range of areas that involved kinetic and non-kinetic operations, including preventive diplomacy. There is also the Regional Plan of Action on Fight against Terrorism 2020-2024 as well as the operationalization of the ECOWAS Standby Force on Fight Against Terrorism.

“I will ensure that we immediately harmonize these plans and mobilize resources as well as the political will to towards the actualisation of the initiatives. As terrorists do not respect boundaries, we must work collectively to have an effective regional counterterrorism measure,” the President further stated.

On his emergence as Chairman on his first participation at the summit, having just started out as the elected leader of Nigeria, President Tinubu stated that he was humbled and honoured by the trust to assume the leadership of the regional body, pledging his commitment to serve the interest of the community.

He said: “Indeed, I’m humbled and honored by this trust, and want to assure you of my unalloyed commitment to provide the necessary leadership with dedication to serve the interest of the community.”

To underscore his commitment towards regional integration, the Nigerian President declared that he would prioritize political stability, peace and security, regional economic integration and strengthening of the ECOWAS institutions, declaring that democracy and good governance remain the abiding cornerstone of peace and sustainable development. While decrying the emerging pattern of coup d’etat in West Africa where soldiers have toppled the popular mandate of the people through barrel of guns, President Tinubu charged ECOWAS to stand firm in defence of democracy.

“We must stand firm on democracy. There is no governance, freedom and rule of law without Democracy. We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again. Democracy is very difficult to manage but it is the best form of government.

There is no one here among us who did not campaign to be a leader. We didn’t give our soldiers resources, we didn’t invest in them, in their boots, in their training to violate the freedom of the people. To turn their guns against civil authorities is a violation of the principles upon which they were hired which is to defend the sovereignty of their nations. We must not sit in ECOWAS as toothless bulldogs,” the President warned.

On political stability, he said: “You will all agree with me that democracy and good governance are the cornerstones of peace and sustainable development of every society. I’m fully committed to deepening democracy and good governance in the region.

“We must strengthen our democratic institutions and ensure the respect for human rights and the rule of law. I will enhance engagements with the countries in transition to ensure their quick return to democratic rule.

The new ECOWAS Chairman called for improved private sector participation in the effort towards the economic development of Member States as well as their social integration.

“We would work collectively to pursue an inclusive economic integration, which will be significantly private sector driven, in order to unlock the vast economic potentials of our region. We would actively promote trade, investment, and business cooperation among Member States by addressing the barriers impeding intra-regional trade, as well as creating a conducive business environment.

“We must encourage economic partnerships to raise the level of trade and investments in our region, hence facilitating employment creation and sustainable development and prosperity for our citizens.

“To this end, we must look inward and work with our regional economic facilitation platforms such as the Federation of West of West Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FEWACCI) as well as ECOWAS Trade Organisation Network to attain our desired goals, “he said further.

He assured the regional leaders of the immediate implementation of his vision for the body, declaring that:

“In furtherance of my vision for our region’s economic recovery and growth, Nigeria intends to convene an ECOWAS Extra Ordinary Summit on Trade and Investment in October 2023.

“The event will provide opportunity for Member States to showcase their potentials and encourage match-making, in order to evolve business cooperation among the various organized private sector within the region,” he added while calling for the strengthening of the institutions of the body.

“In the area of strengthening our Organisations Institutions and ensuring effective performance, we underscore the need for the conclusion of the on-going institutional reforms of the organization.

“Given that Community Levy remained the biggest source of generating funds to run our organization, we must ensure that our citizens being taxed must be positively impacted by the programmes and projects of ECOWAS. This is in line with the shift of ECOWAS slogan from “ECOWAS of State” to “ECOWAS of People,” the Nigerian President emphasised.

He appreciated the Authority of Heads of States and citizens of the Community for trusting him to lead the West African body.

In his welcome address, the outgone ECOWAS Chairman and President of Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embalo saluted his fellow leaders for sustaining the vision of the organisation despite the global economic headwinds and trouble spots within the region. He cited Mali, Burkina Faso and Republic of Guinea as countries where the constitutional order had been distorted while congratulating Nigeria and Sierra Leone for sustaining constitutional order through democratic process with the recent successful elections.

A renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi said the retirement of military generals whenever there is a new government is not ideal.

Sheikh Gumi stated this in an interview on Trust TV on Sunday.

Recall that, at the height of banditry in the North West during the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, Gumi played mediatory role and brought out many Fulani armed militia from the bushes before the project was abandoned.

The scholar said he is willing to go back and finish what he started if there is a commitment from the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Meanwhile, Gumi, a medical doctor who retired as captain in the Nigerian Army, said the President Bola Tinubu has taken the right course in the fight against insecurity in the country.

He stated, “They are starting from the scratch, so I think they have the opportunity to learn and take the right course. I think that having Nuhu Ribadu as the National Security Adviser is a positive step for us in this area.

“However, I hope he would not be a figurehead; the security chiefs should cooperate with him and coordinate with him.”

Gumi, however, said what was usually lacking in the previous administrations was lack of coordination.

“Different services are also in competition; in fact, they are jealous of one another, so they don’t cooperate and coordinate their actions. I think we can have peace if there is coordination,” he said.

When asked, if he would accept in the event that President Tinubu calls him to continue from where stopped, Gumi simply said, “Yes.”

He said, “You see, it is not only establishing contact, it is about confidence. We have built a bridge of confidence, not just contact. I think this is the time to come down and put everything on the table. But let the approach be holistic. That is my advice to the security chiefs.

“It is not only me. I know experts in this area who have gone and met them. We are all talking together, we are putting a blueprint. It has to be holistic.

“We are afraid that some people may try to hijack this project for some material gains. It has to be holistic because everybody involved who is capable should be brought on the table.

“Emirs, religious scholars and the military should be brought in let’s see how we can get out of this mess. The bandits should also come in.”

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the dismissal of three senior Police officers over cases of misconduct and abuse of office.

A Commissioner of Police and eight other senior officers were demoted.

The Commission also approved the compulsory retirement of an Assistant Commissioner and directed a refund of all entitlements wrongly paid to him.

PSC took the decisions at the continuation of its 21st Plenary Meeting, which began at its Corporate Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja on Thursday and presided over by Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Honourable Commissioner representing the Judiciary in the Commission who stood in for Commission’s Chairman, Dr. Solomon Arase, retired Inspector General of Police.

According to a statement on Sunday by the Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani: “Dr. Arase welcomed members during the Plenary via zoom and commended them for fastidiously attending to Disciplinary matters.

“He opined that this is in line with his promise not to do Anything that will impede the career progression of any Officer.

“It approved posthumous promotion of late Inspector Ifeanyi Oroke to the next rank of ASP 11 for acts of gallantry and reinstated one dismissed Inspector Augustina Oko to take effect from the date she was dismissed”.

The Commission also approved the punishment of severe reprimand on 16 officers and reprimand for another 18.

It directed that letters of warning should be given to two other Officers.

The Commission had earlier approved the appeal for adjustment on the date of promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police of ACP Woke Iheanyi Kingsley and reinstatement of CSP Anaele Samuel Onuoha in compliance with a Court judgment.

The 21st Plenary Meeting of the Commission, Ani said reconvenes on Tuesday.

Goods worth millions of naira and cash were destroyed in a night fire incident at Powerline Market, Aba, Abia State.

The fire, according to a resident of the area, began like smoke in one area of the market at about midnight before spreading to other parts.

Although the cause of the fire had not been determined, victims said inflammable substances kept in any part of the market may have been responsible.

One of the victims, Agu Igwe, said he received a phone call from a friend in the night that his shop was on fire.

Igwe, who could not control his tears while narrating the loss, cried out that his burnt shop was recently restocked.

Another trader said he took a loan from a local financial organization to buy goods.

The plastic and scrap material dealer lamented that the proceeds of his weekend sales which he kept in his shop, were burnt to ashes.

The victims appealed to the Abia State Government and good-spirited individuals for financial assistance.

[DailyPost]

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the disclosure of the spending details of about $5 billion Abacha recovered funds by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari.

The Freedom Of Information suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/407/2020 from which the order emerged was brought before the court by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.

Dismissing the objections advanced by the FG, the justice held among others, that SERAP is entitled to the information on the spending details of about $5bn Abacha money, and need not show any special interest in the information sought.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Delivering judgement, Justice Omotosho granted the following orders of mandamus against the federal government compelling it (through the Ministry of Finance and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) to provide and disclose the following information to SERAP: Exact amount of money stolen by General Sani Abacha from Nigeria, and the total amount of Abacha loot recovered and all agreements signed on same since the return of democracy in 1999 till date.

The court also directed the FG to disclose details of the projects executed with the recovered funds, locations of any such projects, and the names of companies and contractors that carried or are carrying out the projects.

Moreso, it ordered the disclosure of “details of specific roles played by the World Bank and other partners in the execution of any projects funded with Abacha loot since 1999.”

“Refer any allegations of corruption involving the execution of projects with Abacha money to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for investigation.”

“Ensure that anyone involved in alleged corruption in projects executed with Abacha money is brought to justice if there is relevant and sufficient admissible.”

In his judgment, the Justice on July 3, held that “…the application by SERAP is meritorious and the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance is hereby ordered to furnish SERAP with the full spending details of about $5bn Abacha loot within 7 days of this judgment.”

Justice Omotosho also held that “The excuse by the Minister of Finance is that the Ministry has searched its records and the details of the exact public funds recovered from Abacha and how the funds have been spent are not held by the Ministry. The excuse has no leg to stand in view of section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act.”

Justice Omotosho’s judgment, read in part: “The failure of the Minister of Finance to write to SERAP informing it of where the said information exists or to transfer the request to public office who has custody of such information is fatal to their case under section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act.”

“The Ministry cannot use a blanket statement that it was not in possession of the said records of about $5bn Abacha money sought by SERAP. The government failed to provide details of the projects executed with the money. It also failed to provide locations of the projects and the names of the companies and contractors that carried out or are carrying out the projects funded with the money.”

“I hold that by the clear wordings of section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, access to information about spending details of $5bn Abacha loot was denied SERAP by the Federal Government.”

“The Federal Government had filed a 14 paragraph Counter Affidavit deposed to by Abah Sunday, Litigation Officer in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation arguing that SERAP’s suit is frivolous, as it has not shown that the government denied it the information it seeks.”

“The Federal Government has also stated that SERAP has not established sufficient interest in its application. The government urged the Court to dismiss the suit.”

“For the sake of emphasis, possession of locus standi has been the bane of the citizens’ advocates, in the public interest litigation, to query transparency and accountability in governance in Nigeria.”

“In a democratic dispensation, such as in Nigeria, the citizens have been proclaimed the owners of sovereignty and mandates that place leaders in the saddle.”

“The requirement is a serious fracture of the citizens’ inalienable right to ventilate their grievances against poor governance vis-à-vis expenditure of public funds generated from their taxes.”

“The sacrosanct provision of Section 1(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, which has ostracised this disturbing requirement, has, admirably, remedied the harmful mischief appurtenant to it.”

“Clearly, section 1 gives a person the right to access any information from any public institution in Nigeria. SERAP is an organization registered in Nigeria and thus a juristic person. As a juristic person, SERAP need not show any specific interest in the spending details of about $5bn Abacha money to be entitled to the same.”

“I therefore hold that SERAP is entitled to the information on the spending details of about $5bn Abacha money, and need not show any special interest in the information sought.”

“The provision of Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act is quite clear and mandates that public institutions or public officers such as the Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice must make available the information requested within 7 days of the request.”

In the letter dated 8 July 2023 sent to President Tinubu on the judgment, and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said, “We urge you to demonstrate your expressed commitment to the rule of law by immediately obeying and respecting the judgment of the Court.”

“By immediately complying with the judgment, your government will be demonstrating to Nigerians that it is different from the Buhari government, which persistently and brazenly defied the country’s judiciary, and sending a powerful message to politicians and others that there will be no impunity for grand corruption.”

“Immediately implementing the judgment will restore trust and confidence in the independence of Nigeria’s judiciary. SERAP urges you to make a clean break with the past and take clear and decisive steps that demonstrate your commitment to the rule of law, transparency, and accountability in the governance processes.”

“SERAP trusts that you will see compliance with this judgment as a central aspect of the rule of law; an essential stepping stone to constructing a basic institutional framework for legality and constitutionality. We, therefore, look forward to your positive response and action on the judgment.”

[Punch]

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the dismissal of seven police officers over misconduct and abuse of office.

PSC spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the decision was taken at the 21st plenary of the commission which was presided over by Justice Clara Ogunbiyi on behalf of the PSC Chairman, Solomon Arase.

Besides the dismissal of the cops, nine other officers were reduced in rank, including a Commissioner of Police, Ani said.

“The Police Service Commission has approved the dismissal of three senior Police officers over cases of misconduct and abuse of office. Nine other officers were reduced in rank including a Commissioner of Police,” the statement read.

“The Commission also approved the punishment of severe reprimand on 16 officers and reprimand for another 18. It directed that letters of warning should be given to two other Officers.

“The Commission had earlier approved the appeal for adjustment on the date of promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police of ACP Woke Iheanyi Kingsley and reinstatement of CSP Anaele Samuel Onuoha in compliance with a court judgment.”

During the meeting, the PSC also approved the compulsory retirement of an Assistant Commissioner and directed a refund of all entitlements wrongly paid to him.

It approved the posthumous promotion of late Inspector Ifeanyi Oroke to the next rank of ASP II for acts of gallantry and reinstated one dismissed Inspector Augustina Oko to take effect from the date she was dismissed.

The commission is expected to reconvene on Tuesday, July 11 for its 21st plenary meeting.

[Channels TV]

Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office on May 29, we have seen courageous leadership in action and hard decisions are being taken which were expected, except we want to deceive ourselves. Our economy is in bad shape and there are no easy answers on the way forward. There will be short-term pains but the long-term gains will be beneficial to everyone.

We have witnessed quick hits resulting in small and big wins as a deliberate strategy – what is now famously called “Tinubunomics.” However, what is important is the sincerity of the Tinubu administration to turn things around and bring about a new lease of life. So far, we can see that the president is on the right track. But the task of nation building is for all Nigerians – we must have a sense of shared ownership in problem solving and take responsibility for our individual decisions and actions.

These are still early days in the life of the Tinubu presidency but in rallying support for the president to succeed and finish well, we must not overlook the civil service where comprehensive reforms are long overdue.

When we say the cost of governance is high, it is not limited only to the civil service but civil servants behave like Lords of the Manor and it is disgusting. Each time political appointees share their experiences in the various ministries, departments and agencies, you will feel sorry for them.

They are seen as outsiders (accidental public servants) and their ideas to uplift standards and enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the MDAs are often resisted or sabotaged. What follows is frustration, and pray not to step on banana peels.

The decadent and inefficient cash-and-carry civil service culture is the product of an over-bloated and opaque bureaucracy that is corrupt. Civil servants are permanent employees who retire after 35 years on the job or when they attain 60 years of age – whichever comes first.

These civil servants, it has been alleged, award contract to themselves and they have a way of ring-fencing others. They are so rich that they can point to fat bank accounts and choice real estate in different parts of the world as benefits even before retirement.

Can civil servants honestly explain the source of their wealth?

The budget for every MDA is an open secret and it is controlled by the rank and file of each ministry and agency. Sometimes, a permanent secretary and his colleagues in the ministry would award contracts and make payments without the supervising minister having a clue of what has happened.

With 42 ministers based on the current structure where some ministries have two ministers, there are too many parastatals, commissions and agencies under each ministry. What are we doing with as many as 20 parastatals or more under a ministry if it is not just another way of throwing money away?

A few years back, it was rumoured that the director of finance (DFA) in one of the ministries lodged over N4 billion in a single bank account. This discovery was made only after he died. I am sure there are several other rogue civil servants who compromise their positions and steal our money.

The civil service has been turned into one huge bazaar where civil servants just “share” money among themselves and they believe it is their birth right to do so. This is clearly an egregious sense of entitlement that is on full display because they know there are no consequences for their bad behaviour.

The tragedy of our country is that a pervasive culture of impunity exists which encourages people to do whatever they like and get away with it. The craze for money has debased the values of a decent society and there is nothing like “ethical standards” anymore.

We live in a world where might is right and if you cannot beat them, it is better to join them. Now, when the treasury is looted the way we have seen it over the years, what is the moral justification to ask tax payers to continue to pay taxes?

Where there’s no accountability, the tax payer will be reluctant to perform a basic statutory obligation. What they need is the assurance that every kobo paid as tax will be properly accounted for. This is why the recent announcement that President Tinubu approved the establishment of a Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms is salutary.

The committee’s primary objective, according to a statement issued by Dele Alake, presidential spokesman, is to “enhance revenue collection efficiency, ensue transparent reporting, and promote the efficient utilization of tax and other revenues to boost citizens’ morale, foster a healthy tax culture and drive voluntary compliance.”

Apart from the minister, perm sec, directors, deputy directors and other senior officers in each ministry, parastatals/agencies under the ministry also have their own set of directors-general and directors.

These DGs have personal assistants and when they travel overseas, they fly business class fully paid for by the government and sign for estacodes as part of their statutory entitlements. They also have two drivers for an SUV and a backup car in Abuja and one driver with a standby car in Lagos. Some DGs have one car in Abuja and one in Lagos.

A director in each agency has an official car with aides amongst other benefits. No doubt, the perks of office are attractive and, truth be told, I do not have a problem with benefits that are statutory. But what are we doing with over 540 parastatals, commissions and agencies when we are owing over N49 trillion in public debt?

I am fully persuaded that the Tinubu administration will have the courage and political will to carry out the necessary reforms based on the Stephen Oronsaye Report that has been ignored since 2012 and trim the civil service to a manageable size.

It was former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies on August 18, 2011. It was headed by Stephen Oronsaye, a former head of the civil service of the federation.

The aim was to reduce the size of the bureaucracy and enhance the efficiency of the civil service. Eight months later (April 16, 2012), the Oronsaye Committee submitted its 800-page report with wide-ranging recommendations.

The committee identified 541 parastatals, commissions and agencies – statutory and non-statutory – and recommended a reduction in the number of statutory agencies from 263 to 161; 38 agencies were recommended for abolition, 52 for merger (most agencies and parastatals have duplicated roles/functions) and 14 to revert to departments in existing ministries.

What happened next? A White Paper Drafting Committee headed by Mohammed Bello Adoke, attorney-general and minister of justice, was set up to review the Oronsaye Report. When the government is not ready to act in the public interest, it creates smokescreens in the name of committees that go on a wild goose chase and deflect the main issue.

By the time a Government White Paper was released in March 2014, the Jonathan administration still had one full year to act on the report but it did not. As you would expect, the white paper rejected most of the recommendations, confirming that Nigeria is a “hesitant” reformer.

The Buhari administration (from 2015 – 2023) also refused to implement any part of the Oronsaye Report and save us billions of Naira. It was not surprising. The failure to act on the report could be attributed to lack of political will, and politicians love playing to the gallery just to satisfy narrow and selfish interests.

Why do our leaders fail to take tough decisions in the public interest when it is absolutely necessary to do so? It is evident that the cost of governance must come down and I have no doubt President Tinubu and his team will act on the Oronsaye Report.

The budgets of all the 774 local councils, 36 states, the FCT and, of course, the presidency and national assembly must also be reduced because the country is flat broke. All inefficiencies have to be uprooted and “leakages” blocked.

Do we still have ghost workers in the civil service? Technology (data capture, biometrics, etc.) can be used to address the problem.

Besides the Oronsaye Report, I agree with Eric Teniola, a retired director at the presidency and public affairs commentator, that the Tinubu administration should act on two other reports: the 1999 Ahmed Joda’s Report on Streamlining and Rationalisation of Poverty Alleviation Institutions and Agencies, and the 2014 National Conference Report.

According to Teniola, the Ahmed Joda Report identified ministries and 18 institutions/agencies that have a mandate directly on poverty alleviation. The story on eradicating poverty in Nigeria did not start today but when panels are set up, their recommendations are never implemented.

The National Conference on the other hand, was broken into 20 committees and I can testify that they produced excellent reports. Prominent among the committees were devolution of power, political restructuring and forms of government, national security, public finance and revenue generation, public service, electoral matters, and trade and investment.

The Ahmed Joda Panel was set up in June 1999 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo while former President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the National Conference on March 14, 2014 in Abuja. It was headed by Chief Justice Legbo Kutigi who passed away on October 21, 2018. Ahmed Joda has also passed on; he died on August 13, 2021.

These great Nigerians served their country with grace, humility, courage and integrity; we should not allow them to die in vain. We can honour their memory by recognising their work and implementing the recommendations contained in their reports.

President Tinubu’s administration should review these reports – which are, by the way, low-hanging fruits – and act on them as quickly as possible.

There’s no need to re-invent the will.

Braimah is a global public relations and marketing strategist. He is also the publisher/editor-in-chief of Naija Times (https://ntm.ng) and Lagos Post (https://lagospost.ng), and he can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On July 3, 2023, Senegal’s president, Macky Sall, in power since 2012, publicly renounced his aspiration for a constitutionally prohibited third term, sparking a synchronised outbreak of ostentatious back-slapping. Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Jonathan, convener of the impressively-named West African Elders Forum (WAEF), fired off a letter describing Macky Sall as a paragon of “sacrificial leadership”. Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, was full of “admiration for statesmanship which privileged Senegal’s interests”.

Describing President Sall’s announcement as an act of “courage, humility, and deep faith in Senegalese democracy”, executive director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, claimed that he had told her in confidence two years ago that “he was not going to run for a third term but that he would announce this towards the end of his term”.

Byanyima did not say whether President Sall had also told her that he would wait for enough Senegalese to die on the altar of his presidential vanities before renouncing them. Her testimony had a tiresome Pentecostal whiff to it.

In announcing the renunciation of his ambitions, Macky Sall claimed that Senegal’s constitution, whose text is explicit to the contrary, would have permitted his violation of it. He sounded deflated and he was. President Sall’s hitherto undisguised ambitions had already killed “dozens” in popular resistance and protests. The latest, at the beginning of June 2023, led to the killing of between 16 to 30 protesters.

In the end, the people forced him to blink. In his campaign to succeed himself, Macky Sall’s party had procured paid demonstrations in support of his ill-fated ambition. But, ahead of his announcement, opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, whom Sall seeks to preclude from next year’s ballot, had called out the country to mass action.

Senegal’s citizens were determined to make the price of Sall’s self-succession ambition impermissibly prohibitive. The Council on Foreign Relations rightly described Sall’s disavowal of his ambition as rather “belated”.

Macky Sall’s self-succession put Senegal’s proud record of democratic exceptionalism in West Africa to the test and is a rare instance of failure in Africa’s new brand of constitutional coups. In retrospect, events in Dakar this past week show that while the optics of the region’s democratic landscape may appear different, the narcissism of political power remains durable.

On May 28, 1975, the rulers of 15 countries in West Africa concluded a summit in Lagos, then the capital of Nigeria, with the adoption of the Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS). It established a regional economic community among the 15 countries, with an undertaking to shrink the zone of sovereign prerogative that they could claim at a time when relations among Africa’s rulers were defined by mutual suspicion and mutual trade in accusations of interference or subversion.

For proof of this then-existing trend, you only had to look at the composition of the rulers who established ECOWAS. Their host was Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s then head of state, a dashing four-star general since the age of 34, who was barely 40. Basking in the after-glow of the accomplishment that the establishment of ECOWAS clearly was, General Gowon travelled to Kampala, Uganda, two months later in July 1975 for the 12th summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). It was his last. Gowon’s host in Kampala was Idi Amin Dada, another soldier and Uganda’s then ruler, who had chosen to go one better than Gowon by gratifying his vanities with the epaulettes of a Field Marshall.

While he was in Kampala, soldiers back home in Nigeria, led by Murtala Mohammed, then a Brigadier-General in the Nigerian Army, decided to relieve Gowon of his command and overthrow him. Nanven Joseph Garba, the army colonel who announced the coup, was Gowon’s kinsman who also commanded the Brigade of Guards responsible for the protection of the head of state.

Yakubu Gowon was not the only soldier at the creation of ECOWAS in 1975 nor was he the only one overthrown by them. Six others among the 15 original signatories to the treaty were soldiers including Lt-Col Mathieu Kérékou (Benin); Gen. Ignatius Acheampong (Ghana, represented by Lt-Col RJA Falli, Minister for Economic Planning); Col. Moussa Traoré (Mali, represented by Major Baba Diarra, Vice-Chairman of the Military Committee of National Liberation); Lt-Col. Seyni Kountché (Niger); Gen. Gnassingbe Eyadema (Togo), and Gen. Aboubakar Sangoulé Lamizana (Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso)
Of the remaining eight, Presidents Dawda Jawara (Gambia); Sekou Toure (Guinea); Luiz Cabral (Guinea Bissau); William Tolbert (Liberia); Moktar Ould Daddah (Mauritania); and Siaka Stevens (Sierra Leone) were all succeeded by soldiers. President Felix Houphöuet-Boigny of Côte d’Ivoire was the only president as such among the original signatories who was neither a soldier nor directly succeeded by one. Abdou Diouf who represented Senegal at the adoption of the treaty was then prime minister to President Leopold Senghor, whom he later succeeded as president on April 1, 1981.

Looking back at that era from the vantage of nearly five decades later, the appearance of progress in the optics of government in West Africa looks assured. Mauritania is no longer part of ECOWAS but Cape Verde, which joined in 1976, ensures that the regional bloc remains comprised of 15 members. In the half-century to 2004, West African countries witnessed “169 military interventions of some sort”. The only countries spared this scourge were Cape Verde and Senegal.

Today, in 12 countries out of 15 among the member states of ECOWAS the head of state, by whatever name called, enjoys democratic legitimacy. The only countries that are presently exempt from this trend are Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, where the military installed itself in power using coups organised within the past three years.

Impressive as this picture may look, it flatters the region in many ways. First, soldiers in military fatigues may no longer be fashionable in seats of power, but soldiers in many countries in the region are not far from power. Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the current president of Guinea Bissau and Julius Maada Bio, his peer in Sierra Leone, are both former army generals. Muhammadu Buhari, another general who led the military to overthrow Nigeria’s elected government on December 31, 1983, only recently completed another tour of duty on May 29, 2023, as head of state of his country. They may have shed their fatigues, but soldiers continue in many African countries to enjoy historical advantages in the contest for political and economic power.

Second, coups are no longer the monopoly of soldiers. Civilians or incumbents with the appearance of electoral legitimacy now also implement what has been called constitutional coups by manipulating constitutions, courts, and election management bodies to destroy constitutional guardrails and keep themselves in power for as long as they please. In West Africa, the rulers of Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, for instance, have changed their constitutions in this way. In Guinea, soldiers found their excuse to launch a bid for power in fatigues after Alpha Conde, a civilian president, overthrew the constitution in a bloody exercise in 2021 to extend his tenure as president.

Third, these efforts to subvert constitutional rule in the region, whether by the military or civilians, are often accompanied by foreign support. Around Africa, Russia is a rising new force for autocracy and coups. In West Africa, Russia’s footprint has been active in the overthrow of constitutional governments in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali. Beyond the region, its friendly presence has also been reported in Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Sudan, and Zimbabwe, among others.

In Senegal, Macky Sall’s ambitions stalled in the face of many factors. He could not rely on the army, he had no overwhelming foreign backers and Senegal’s fragility was becoming evident in the face of stout popular resistance. In the end, the people forced him to back down. The plaudits here clearly belong to the people of Senegal. For Macky Sall, he will spend the remainder of his presidency seeking post-presidential immunity. He will need it.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.