Nigerians in Ghana blow hot, tell FG diplomacy has ended

Emma Emeozor

The National Association of Nigeria Traders in Ghana has condemned the demolition of Nigeria High Commission building, describing the act as a threat to the security of Nigerians resident in the country.

In a tense statement signed by the president of the association, Dr Ken Ukaoha and made available to Daily Sun, the association said: “If the security of Nigerian Government’s diplomatic property is demolished with such affront, impunity and brazenness, then the security of lives of Nigerians living in Ghana is by no means guaranteed.”

The association noted that “for many years, Nigerian traders transacting business in Ghana have been repeatedly molested, harassed, intimidated and had their businesses locked or goods confiscated by the Ghanaian authorities.”

The attack on Nigerians and their businesses have been persisted despite the intervention of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and diplomatic mediations and interface between Nigeria and Ghana, the association said.

The associate accused the Government of Ghana of giving tacit support to those attacking Nigerians and their businesses, particularly the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).

The association wants Ghanaians to “learn that the pathway to crises is broad and easy, but the end is not always palatable to anyone.”

It said though they Nigerians resident in Ghana are not calling for war, they hope that the Government of Nigeria is “effectively and unambiguously reading and translating the handwriting.”

While noting that diplomacy is good it reminded the Government of Nigeria that “as a principle in International law, diplomacy has an end” and “reciprocity is also part of diplomacy.” It urged the government to act to uncover source of the relentless insults that have culminated into a blow, else Nigeria and Nigerians may continue to be deemed not only by Ghana as a statue good for testing bullets.