Lecturer with the Department of Management and Public Administration at Central University, Dr Benjamin Otchere Ankrah, has stated that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is no longer useful.

He made the remarks on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show following the Coup in Niger and the ECOWAS response to the coup.

Dr Otchere’s concern stems from failure of ECOWAS to address what he believes are pertinent issues bothering the West African bloc, which are also likely to cause instability in the bloc.

One of the key issues he raised is failure of ECOWAS to address the issue of power-hungry politicians clinging to power for extended periods on the African continent, and said these unaddressed issues contribute to the recent uprising on the West African Bloc.

“ECOWAS is not just weak. They are not useful. There are leaders who have been in power for over 30 years and ECOWAS has been silent on that and these are all fertile grounds for such activities [coup],” he said and entreated ECOWAS to up its game.

“The problems of ECOWAS in 1991 are still the same. So let’s look at how to govern the subregion properly and put the ego aside,” he added.