President John Dramani Mahama called for the bolstering of democratic institutions in Africa when he opened the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s Democracy Dialogue 2025 yesterday, Wednesday, September 17.
A free press is democracy’s defense, the president reaffirmed.
“The collapse of democracy in one country undermines democracy in all other countries, so African leaders need to strengthen regional solidarity,” he said.
This year’s dialogue, which has as its theme “Why Democracies Die,” is being hosted by the Ghanaian government and the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.
Speaking on the reasons why democracies fail, President Mahama stated that the first is that the institutions are ineffective in defending the rights of the people.
According to him, marginalization and inequality that alienate segments of the populace are the third factor, while corruption and elite capture are the second, undermining public confidence in democratic governance.
“Democracy dies when citizens lose faith, when leaders abandon integrity, and institutions succumb to capture. But democracy can be renewed when citizens rise to defend it,” the President stated.
“The fourth is leadership deficits that squander the legitimacy of governments. And the fifth is external pressures that exploit the vulnerability in democratic systems,” the President said.
African leaders, he argued, must fortify their institutions, independent courts, parliaments, and electoral organizations in order to revitalize democracy.
They must also make an effort to provide development since a democracy would constantly be in danger if it had no roads, schools, hospitals, or jobs.
African leaders must educate their citizens, according to President Mahama.
President Mahama cited Burkina Faso’s late president Thomas Sankara when he stated, “A soldier without political education or ideological training is a potential criminal.”
“The same is true of leadership without ethical grounding,” President Mahama continued.
According to him, they must also safeguard the media and public areas and foster regional unity, as the collapse of one country’s democracy erodes those of other countries.
He declared that Ghana, as host, reaffirms its commitment to preserving democracy in both words and deeds.
“We’ll defend the independence of our institutions, we’ll support free expression, and we’ll continue to stand with ECOWAS in promoting democratic governance across West Africa,” he stated.
High-profile individuals attended the event, including Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, and two former Nigerian presidents, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo and Mr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Source: newsthemegh.com