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EndSARS: Buhari is using archaic methods in solving issues of the 21st century - Dr Owusu-Ansah

EndSARS: Buhari is using archaic methods in solving issues of the 21st century - Dr Owusu-Ansah

A lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has expressed worry over how Nigeria’s President, Mahamudu Buhari is handling the current crisis in his country.

Dr Emmanuel De-Graft Johnson Owusu-Ansah told Samson Lardy Anyenini on Joy FM’s Newsfile Saturday that, the President is using archaic methods to deal with issues in a technological age.

“African leaders do not understand this new generation. Our leaders try to solve problems of the 21st century with 20th-century protocols and it doesn’t work that way,” he said.

Nigerian youth for some weeks now have been protesting over alleged police brutalities being perpetrated by its police unit known as Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

According to the youth, SARS has abused its mandate by harassing people based on their appearance and extorting money from them, therefore, are demanding police reform.

But things took the wrong turn when the Nigerian Army allegedly fired live ammunition into a group of unarmed protestors at Lekki toll booth on Tuesday, killing dozens and injuring several others.

When President Buhari finally addressed the nation on Thursday, after several calls by international bodies and countries, he warned hoodlums who have hijacked the End SARS protest to cause mayhem across the country to stop.

Commenting on the development, Dr Emmanuel De-Graft Johnson Owusu-Ansah said, “The new generation is now using social media to generate content, mobilise, coordinate and execute their purpose.

He said, “this is something that we cannot use 20th-century ideology to solve. You must be up-to-date in dealing with crisis in this century,” he said.

Analysing the Nigerian President’s speech, he said parts of the information he delivered were unnecessary, particularly, where President Buhari compared his poverty alleviation achievement to past governments.

According to Dr Owusu-Ansah, following the indiscriminate shooting on Tuesday, the already agitated youth expected their President to deliver a message that would calm their nerves and not that which touts the achievements of his government.

“Like a typical African President, we are dealing with a current problem and you are comparing it to the past governments. It shouldn’t be so, you were voted in to solve problems that emerges, you were voted in to lead and come with solutions.

“Therefore, a problem has happened, give us the solution, you don’t have to compare it with things that has happened years ago.  Because if you bring in these comparison then you introduce politicisation which will bring little or no result.”

Bringing it home, Dr Owusu-Ansah said, if the challenge currently being faced in Nigeria is not meticulously managed, Ghana will severely be affected in the process.

Original Story on: MyJoyOnline
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