Hand over when your term ends, stop changing constitution - Aziz Ayaaba urges ECOWAS leaders

Ghanaian member of Ecowas Parliament and Deputy Fisheries Minister-designate, Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaaba, has urged West African leaders to stop changing their constitutions and peacefully hand over power when their term is over.

Abdul Aziz Ayaaba, who is also the Member of Parliament for Mion, believes this will ensure peace in the Ecowas subregion.

The Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development designate said that with the existing ECOWAS charter on democracy, there was a need for the various ECOWAS States to go by the charter to enhance good governance and peaceful democratic practices.

He said this when he appeared before the appointment committee of Parliament to be vetted.

"What I would say about the situation is that in the subregion, there is a challenge. But there were structures in place even before I joined ECOWAS. There is a chatter of democracy that the ECOWAS States have signed onto. Violation of this chatter is mostly the problem in the sub-region," Abdul Aziz Ayaaba said.

"If you look at all the countries where we have these issues, there were some constitutional amendments or changes with regards to the term of office of their presidents, that led to all these crises. So, Mr. Chairman, what I would appeal is that all ECOWAS States or all the countries in the community must go by the charter of democracy; we must stick to whatever our constitution is saying. When your term of office is over, you just need to hand over peacefully, so that development and peace will continue," he added.