Mahama urges African leaders to tackle challenges threatening Democracy
Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has urged African leaders to address the challenges to democratic governance on the continent.
Mahama, who delivered the keynote presentation at the Nigerian Bar Association's 64th Annual General Conference in Lagos, highlighted Ghana's challenges with democratic administration, citing a recent Afrobarometer poll.
The survey found a growing trend of disenchantment with democracy among young people, who increasingly favor military control as a short-term solution to civilian leaders' failings.
Mahama highlighted troubling statistics from Ghana, stating that most individuals have lost faith in democratic institutions.
He emphasized that time is running out to make critical decisions that will instill hope in the future of democratic governance.
The NDC flagbearer stressed that these findings reflect a reduction in trust in democratic administration, serving as a wake-up call to African leaders to solve the complex issues endangering the continent's future.
“Time is running out to make the most crucial decisions that will once again inspire hope in the future of our democratic governance. Let me share a few examples from my own country Ghana. According to the latest Afrobarometer survey, an overwhelming 83% of Ghanaians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.”
“Additionally, 85% of Ghanaians rate the country’s economy as bad. While 72% described their personal living conditions from fairly bad to bad. About 55% of Ghanaians say they have lost trust in our Ghanaian Parliament. 53% have lost trust in the presidency.”
“Moreover, 77% believe the government is not doing enough to fight corruption and 64% feel that the government is failing to improve the economy. Another revealing statistic is that 22% of Ghanaians agree that the country will be better off under military rule.
These figures indicate a significant decline in trust in a democratic country like Ghana, which is a wake-up call for all of us. The African continent today is grappling with a range of complex issues that are threatening to derail our progress.”
Source: Lead News Online
