Ex Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has come out to blast the military intervention in Mali.

Ike Ekweremadu recently came out to ask for extreme sanctions against the masterminds of the takeover.

According to him, Mali was very strategic in the war against insurgency and that political instability in the West African country will bring dire consequences for West Africa and the Sahel region.

He added that the recent trend of using military to settle political scores is worrisome and must be stopped.

His words, “The military intervention in the political disagreements in Mali, which ultimately led to the arrest, detention, and forced resignation of President Ibrahim Keita, is most unfortunate and roundly condemnable.

“The unfolding culture of using military to settle political scores should worry all as this is Mali’s second military coup in eight years, having passed through the same experience in 2012.”

“Capture of power by undemocratic means is against the letters and spirit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance as well as the provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance. Our military must, therefore, come to terms with these and the fact that days of unconstitutional takeover of power in any part of the sub-region were long over.”

“Besides, Africa’s experience clearly shows that military coups are ill wind that blows no one any good. They come disguised as solutions, but end up as bigger problems, destroying the economy and engendering misgovernance, human rights abuse, and political instability.”

“The ECOWAS decision to shut downland and air borders with Mali and its decision to demand sanctions against all the coups plotters and their partners are very much in order.”

“I enjoin other members of the international community and all lovers of democracy and freedom to stand up to be counted in this affront to democracy, bearing in mind that the evolving culture of coups in Mali could contaminate other fledging democracies on the African continent, particularly the West African sub-region.”