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Nigeria’s federal government says it will no longer tolerate what it describes as harassment of its citizens in Ghana.
In a statement issued on August 28, the Nigerian government accused the government of Ghana of the ongoing harassment of its citizens and the progressive acts of hostility towards Nigerians in the country by the Ghanaian authorities.
The statement further said that the Federal Government has been documenting acts of hostility towards Nigeria and Nigerians by the Ghanaian authorities.
According to them, he is urgently considering a number of options aimed at improving the situation.
“The Government of Nigeria is deeply concerned about the incessant harassment of its citizens in Ghana and the progressive acts of hostility towards the country by the Ghanaian authorities, and will no longer tolerate such acts.”
The Federal Government also added that although more than 1 million Ghanaians reside in Nigeria, they are not being subjected to the kind of hostility that is being inflicted on Nigerians in Ghana.
Below is the full statement from the Nigerian government:
Nigeria will no longer tolerate harassment of its citizens in Ghana – FG
The Nigerian Government is deeply concerned by the incessant harassment of its citizens in Ghana and the progressive acts of hostility towards the country by the Ghanaian authorities, and will no longer tolerate them.
In this regard, the Federal Government is urgently considering a series of options aimed at improving the situation.
The Federal Government has been documenting acts of hostility towards Nigeria and Nigerians by the Ghanaian authorities. These include:
– Seizure of the property of the Nigerian Mission located at 10 Barnes Road, Accra, which the Government of Nigeria has used as a diplomatic premises for almost 50 years. This action constitutes a serious violation of the Vienna Convention.
– Demolition of the Nigerian Mission property located at 19/21 Julius Nyerere Street, East Ridge, Accra, another serious violation of the Vienna Convention.
– Aggressive and incessant deportation of Nigerians from Ghana.
Between January 2018 and February 2019, 825 Nigerians were deported from Ghana.
– Closure of businesses owned by Nigerians. More than 300 Nigerian stores were closed for four months in Kumasi in 2018; more than 600 Nigerian stores were closed in 2019 and currently more than 250 Nigerian stores have been closed.
– Residence permit requirements, for which the Ghana Immigration Service has charged huge fees, much higher than the fees charged by
the Nigerian Immigration Service. These include the mandatory non-citizen identification card (US $ 120 and US $ 60 for annual renewal); Medical examinations, including Covid-19, which has recently been introduced (around US $ 120) and residence permit payment (US $ 400 compared to N 7,000 Ghanaians pay for residence card in Nigeria)
– Scandalous stipulations in the Ghana Investment Promotion Center Act. When the law was initially enacted in 1994, a foreigner must invest at least US $ 300,000 in equity capital and also employ 10 Ghanaians. This Act has now been amended twice, and the GIPC Act 2018 raises the minimum capital base for foreign-owned companies to US $ 1 million.Although it is aimed at foreigners, it appears that the GIPC definition of foreigners is Nigerian. The GIPC Law also denies the ECOWAS Protocol.
– Media war against Nigerians in Ghana. Negative reporting on issues related to Nigerians living in Ghana by the Ghanaian media is fueling an emerging xenophobic attitude towards Nigerian merchants and Nigerians in general. The immediate consequences are the incessant harassment and arrest of Nigerian merchants and the closure of their stores.
