"Don't glamorize coup makers"

  1. Posted on Friday 3 September 2010 - 10:40
    Dolphyne
    Image of Dolphyne
    Joseph Appiah-Dolphyne, AfricaNews editor in Accra, Ghana
    Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has cautioned Africa countries not to glamorize coup makers and called for total condemnation of any such unconstitutional takeovers of democratic governments.
    olusegun obasanjo nigeria_delta_campaign
    He said such military adventurism was detrimental to any country's development and growth, adding, "If a military officer wants to govern, he should resign his commission and seek for political power democratically.”

    Obasanjo, who was speaking at the Ghana Military Academy (GMA) Golden Jubilee Panel Discussion in Accra, said "Any military coup is unacceptable and we must stop glamorizing their actions."

    The event that was on the topic: "Turning out Quality Military Leaders in the 21st Century: A re-appraisal of leadership Training in the Ghana Armed Forces", formed part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the GMA, at which some eminent academicians and military officers urged the retooling of that institution to make its training relevant in contemporary times.

    The GMA has trained over 3,000 military officers, with a significant number of them, coming from other African countries, some of whom have excelled not only in their military carriers but in governance in their respective countries, including Gen Obasanjo.

    Obasanjo congratulated the GMA on that milestone, calling for a re-evaluation of the training needs of that institution and the overhauling of facilities to reflect changing trends in the defence arena.

    He said the changing security environment necessitated that the military should not be rooted in the past, but to continually evolve with reviews to leadership training.

    "The military has its ethics and principles but the challenges of the times demand that we also change because it will not auger well for any armed forces that is rooted in the past" said Gen Obasanjo.

    He called for a pragmatic approach in training military leaders for the 21st century, insisting on the need to imbue in military officers the tenets of democracy and good governance.

    Obasanjo said that all future programmes to train military leaders should be structured such that it could make an impact on the development nations.

Latest News

  1. AFCON: 46 hurt in Zambia victory celebrations09/02Over 40 casualty cases were recorded Wednesday night at Zambia's University Teaching Hospital (UTH) after post-match celebrations turned violent …
  2. African Peer Review Mechanism making progress08/02In 2003 the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the continental development plan, initiated the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM…
  3. Combating HIV infections among African women08/02With a lack of knowledge and power, African women continue to bear the brunt of HIV infections.
  4. Legume cultivation booms in Western Kenya07/02Small Holder Farmers (SHFs) who traditionally relied on seed companies for all their seeds are now bulking their own legume seeds for their farms.
  5. Malawi vendors chase out Chinese07/02Vendors in Kalonga, the Northern district of Malawi, on Wednesday petitioned the District Commissioner to flash out all Chinese nationals who are doin…
  6. Zim: Informal sector urged to join HIV battle05/02While the Harare City council is busy engaging in running battles with city vendors, Health Minister has called for authorities to devise ways to form…
  7. Elections: Wole Soyinka warns Mugabe, Wade03/02The Nigerian Nobel Prize winner for literature said heads of states who are trying to cling to power suffer the same fate as the dictators who were sw…
  8. AU elections rescheduled for June in Malawi01/02Following a deadlock during Monday's African Union elections, with a tie between former wife to South African president Jacob Zuma, Home Affairs …
  9. Senegal in turmoil as protest intensifies01/02Hundreds of anti-government protesters Tuesday gathered in the central Dakar, Senegal to show their dissatisfaction over the incumbent president Abdou…
  10. Zimbabwe’s inflation still favourable -…01/02Zimbabwe's annual headline inflation still compared favourably with economies in the region, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said o…
  11. AFCON 2012: Sudan qualifies after four decades31/01The Sudanese national team has sealed a historic win over the Stallions of Burkina Faso.
  12. Senegalese opposition to intensify protests31/01Opposition and civil society groups in Senegal have vowed to increase their fight against incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade's presidential bid.
  13. Malawi: Rights coalition condemn stripping of…30/01The 39 members of the Solidarity for African Women's Rights Coalition based in 18 African countries have vehemently condemned the stripping of wo…
  14. Kenya to deworm five million children annually30/01Kenya launched the second phase of its national deworming programme at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012, aiming to treat 5 million childre…
  15. Benin’s Yayi Boni is AU’s new…30/01President Yayi Boni of Benin Republic has been elected chairperson of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa
News archive