Dr. Sam Amadi, director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, has described West African as the most poorest part of the world.
Speaking at a press conference organised by the Abuja School and the Save Democracy Group West Africa in Abuja on Tuesday Amadi, a former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) stated that the panacea to West Africa’s problem is curbing poverty and salvaging the dwindling economic situation.
He also stressed that the combination of both problems were the major cause of uprising insecurities and political instability in the region.
While reacting to the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic from the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) and the postponement of the presidential election in Senegal, Amadi noted that the unrest and instability could be linked to high poverty rate and under development, both of which can trigger depression, a precursor for revolution.
“For us, the Abuja school and Save Democracy Group West Africa consider the travail of the democracy group in West Africa as serious because of three factors; Some of the poorest countries in the world, you will see some of them coming from West Africa.
“Secondly, it is one of the terrorized – fragile states. If you look at the Sahel, which is where some of these countries are, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso. If you look at the Gulf of Guinea, it is also troubled – ISWAP, Boko Haram. It is really a fragile region.
“If you factor in the high poverty rate, and underdevelopment as seen in the GDP of West African states, they are very depressed,” he stated.
RAYO POST recalls that the trio of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic have recently witnessed coups that ousted the democratically elected governments.
Amadi further noted that the School was not keen on condemnation, but proper understanding of the difficulties and issues surrounding the failed democracy in the West, so as to profer solutions and develop suitable policies that will effectively and efficiently address them.
“It means the failure of democracy in West Africa is the failure of development and human wealth. We are worried as a school – and this is not to spite the Nigerian government, this is a serious challenge to the sustainability of livelihood in West Africa.
“The Abuja school doesn’t just want to condemn but seek explanation, why is democracy failing in West Africa?” he noted.
