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The recent demand by some protesters in Ghana that Nigerians in that country must go was quite embarrassing. The reported reasons for their protest appear hollow and expose the sheer animosity against Nigerians by some Ghanaians. The protesters made it look like Nigerians committed unpardonable crimes. They accused Nigerians of involvement in kidnapping, ritual killings, prostitution and economic dominance. They also alleged that the activities of some Nigerians were repulsive, insulting and against their norms and values.
The truth is that Ghanaians have been maltreating Nigerians even before now. In 2019, for instance, Ghana Union of Traders (GUTA) shut down about 1,000 Nigerian shops. A similar action was taken against Nigerians in 2020 by the Ghanaian authorities for allegedly not showing evidence of $1 million Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) registration, which is required of them to be in business. Nigerians have also alleged that Ghanaian landlords impose high rents on them.
In some other African countries, Nigerians have faced similar embarrassment, humiliation and xenophobic attacks. In South Africa, for instance, many innocent Nigerians have been killed for no justifiable reason. Some other countries have placed visa ban on Nigerians for no good reason. This is disturbing to say the least.
We decry the rising animosity against Nigerians in Ghana as well as the unwarranted attacks on Nigerians and their businesses and livelihoods. The xenophobic fear in Ghana is not good for harmony in West Africa where countries enjoy shared history, vision and mutual understanding. Ghana and Nigeria have come a long way, dating from independence, civil war and after.
Let citizens of both countries maintain good relationship devoid of rancour and profiling. Many Nigerians live in Ghana as many Ghanaians live in Nigeria in the spirit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). If any Nigerian flouts Ghanaian laws, he should be arrested and prosecuted. That should not be used to stereotype all Nigerians or visit xenophobic attacks on them and their businesses. It should not warrant the “Nigeria must go” protest.
It is laudable that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, visited Ghana to douse the tension. It is also good that Ghanaian President, John Mahama, has assured Nigerians of their safety.
Let this serve as a wake-up call for President Bola Tinubu to appoint ambassadors to represent Nigeria across the world. He withdrew them in September 2023, but has not replaced them since then. This has presented a lacuna in defending Nigerian interests abroad.
Let Nigerians in Ghana abide by the laws of their host country and respect their culture. They must maintain cordial relationship with their hosts.
The profiling of Nigerians in Ghana is not good for good neighbourliness, ECOWAS and African Union. It is not even good for inter-African trade. It is against the spirit of the ECOWAS protocol. Every citizen of ECOWAS is supposed to live anywhere in the sub-region without molestation.
The Nigerian High Commission in Ghana should be in touch with Nigerians in that country. It should ensure that there is cordial relationship between Nigerians and their host country.
Nigerian leaders must provide good leadership to prevent many citizens from migrating abroad in search of greener pastures. Bad leadership has engendered hunger and other deprivations in the country.
Nigeria is among the countries rated as hunger hotspots of high concern in the world. Many Nigerian children are dying of malnutrition. Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) noted that malnutrition remained a major contributor to child mortality and poor educational outcomes in Nigeria. This is more prevalent in the North.
It estimated that one in every two children or 51.9 per cent of children in Kano were stunted or not growing well because of chronic malnutrition. People are killed routinely by bandits and terrorists who operate with impunity in different parts of the country. According to Transparency International, about 10,217 people have been killed in the two years of Tinubu’s administration in Nigeria.
Even in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, Nigerian leaders indulge in corruption and ostentatious lifestyle that question their integrity and readiness to solve the country’s problems. If half of the resources wasted in white elephants are utilized effectively, Nigeria will regain her respect among other respected countries. Let the federal government ensure that the harassment of our citizens in different parts of the world is halted.
