By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
The rate at which Nigerians in Ghana are returning home in droves is quite alarming and disturbing.
The standard of living in Ghana has become quite tough and unbearable and many Nigerians living in Ghana are returning home as a result of the economical crises affecting the country..
Even Ghanaians are complaining about the situation.
When this reporter spoke with some Nigerians that recently returned from Ghana, many of them complained of the economic hardship that they had been facing in the country, noting that the value of Ghana’s currency has been depreciating when compared to the naira and other currencies in West Africa. They noted that rather than continue to live in Ghana and suffer, it was better they come back home for better opportunities.
Mr. Ndu Okechukwu was a pastor in Ghana, and he has lived in Ghana for some decades. He recently came back home with his entire family. He complained of poverty that is ravaging the country, saying that instead of staying there and begging to cater for his children, the best was for him and the rest of the family to come back home.
“I decided to sell some of my property such as cars, refrigerators, deep freezers among others. If I did not sell them, conveying the items to Nigeria would have been a big challenge,” he said.
Also speaking, one of his children, Koffi said: “I am not happy because I am about to write my SSS 2 examinations when my father decided to relocate to Nigeria. But what would I do? My father has the final say,” he said.
Koffi, who is 13, reminisced on their arrival in Nigeria. He said people were excited to see the family, and that Nigerians had been showering them with gifts such as shoes, clothes, food items and much more. He said they were happy. For him, he stated, the shoes he got were not mere gifts, noting that they were special. In his words, “someone in the neighbourhood has met my need.” That, he noted, was a reminder that he was being cared for Nigerians.
“Each time I put them on, it fills my heart with a lot of hope that no matter how terrible a situation is, there is always someone somewhere who truly cares, “the teenager told the reporter.
The family said it was not the first time that Koffi and his siblings would be coming to Nigeria. “They have been coming during holidays, and he’s excited about coming home finally.
Okechukwu said his family, notably the children, were gradually adjusting to life in Nigerian. He said since the children were born in Ghana, they had never stayed for long periods in Nigeria. He lamented that they were coming back to Nigeria at a period of economic adversity in the country, a situation that had prevented Okechukwu from adequately catering to the needs of his children. Mr. Anyiam Uzor, who hails from Abia State, also recently returned home after living in Ghana for over 10 years. He got married there and has kids. He travelled to Ghana for greener pastures, he said, but regretted that things did not work out the way he planned. He said he returned to Nigeria last year.
Over there, he was a pastor. He said he decided to return to Nigeria when things became so difficult for him in Ghana.
Uzor regretted that he returned to Nigeria with little or nothing with him, even as he lamented that life had dealt cruelly with him in Ghana.
He explained that he lived somewhere in Northern Ghana, explaining that many of his friends and family had no idea of where he was until he came back to Nigeria.
Yet another Nigerian, who pleaded to remain anonymous, explained that he had been working as a security personnel in a media house in Ghana. He told the reporter that he came back to Nigeria last year after he had fallen on some very difficult and challenging times in Ghana. He said things had become far better for him since he returned to Nigeria.
“If I had known, I would not have resigned from my job to travel to Ghana,” he said.
Eze Ikonne, who hails from Imo State, said he travelled to Ghana and became a businessman in the country. He also said he was forced to come back to Nigeria after things had become difficult for him in the neighbouring West African country.
“Last month, I was in a bus going to Oshodi from Ijesha and I saw another Nigerian who returned from Ghana. He was on the phone telling his friend that he was back. I approached him, and he told me that while he was in Ghana, his businesses were not going on fine. He complained bitterly about how Nigerians were being maltreated in Ghana. He regretted that efforts were made to resolve the issue amicably but noted that the issues remained unresolved.
“As the days went by, Ikonne said his family members were tired and his children were also affected in their schools. Rather than remain there, he decided to come back home with his wife and children to Nigeria.”
Yet another Nigerian who doesn’t want his name in print told the reporter: “I had to put my property for sale. Those include fridges, cars, deep freezers, among others. I had to put them up for sale online and look for buyers in order to have some money to come back home and improve the lives of his family.
“Life in Kumasi, Ghana is more slow-paced than in Lagos. In Lagos, everything is fast-paced and you have to be extra smart. Kumasi feels like there is a semblance of sanity, with everyone minding their own business. But besides that, they have the same things we do. The same hawkers, the same type of businesses, open markets and so on.
“In terms of prices, things are not cheaper in Ghana. In fact, if you are not careful, you can spend more in Ghana.
“What I did most times in Ghana was to market and calculate prices in Naira and then calculate in Cedis so as to price effectively. For example, I wanted to buy a dress for 70 cedis. I’d think firstly that the amount might be like 70 naira. I would then check the cedi to naira exchange rate and realise that if I were in Nigeria, that would probably amount to ₦5,500, which is quite high. Then once I noticed that, I could then bargain with the vendor to sell it to me at a lower price. It’s easier for me that way,” he stated.
He said since it had become difficult for him to meet his financial obligations to himself and his family in Ghana, and since living in Ghana had become so difficult with the high cost of things, he decided it was better for him and his family to return to Nigeria.
“I even realised that here in Nigeria is better because I could at least do some farming and get myself involved in some trading, going to other states in Nigeria to buy goods and sell, instead of suffering in Ghana.,” he added.
It has been observed that many more Nigerians have been returning to the country from Ghana, saying the standard of living had become unbearable.