By Fortune Abang
Abuja – The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), Ghana chapter, and the Government of Ghana on Monday reacted to the attacks on Nigerian residential buildings in that country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) ireports that unknown armed men stormed the Nigerian High Commissioner’s residence in Accra, Ghana, with bulldozers and demolished a block of uncompleted apartments on the property on Friday night on June 19.
Reacting to the development, the Vice-President of NIDO-Ghana, Mr Kingsley Attoe, in a telephone interview with NAN in Abuja, urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address the situation.
He described the building to have been constructed to house staff and visiting diplomats to the High Commission before it was demolished.
The NIDO-Ghana vice president noted that no arrest had so far been made on the attack.
Attoe said: “The attack occurred at 10 p.m. on June 19, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued statement to condemn that act.
“There was no record of injury and the security operatives have been harassed over the incident.
“Our Charge D’ Affairs was asked to leave or be bulldozed. She had to leave the place after calling the police headquarters, which is just a few meters away.
“The information we have is that the High Commission was not informed, the guy who is said to be a business man claims he own the land title in 2019.
“We are petitioning the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Presidency in Nigeria, National Assembly and other relevant authorities in Nigeria, we need to act fast.”
He described Ghana as a sister nation, which most Nigerians loved and are proud of, noting that some Nigerians do businesses there peacefully with great Ghanaians, like renowned Journalist, Kwasi Pratt.
He also noted that no High Commissioner had been appointed from Nigeria to Ghana, but that NIDO and other Nigerian associations had gone out to sort out the issue on ground.
He said although there was no proof the action was backed by Ghana government, Nigerian government should show displeasure over such action,
In its reaction, the Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in a statement said unidentified individuals allegedly breached the premises of the High Commission and demolished the property under construction at about 10.30 p.m.
“The Ministry views with concern this development which is a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR, 1961).
“Investigations are ongoing to unravel the facts of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.
“Meanwhile Ghanaian government has beefed-up security at the said facility and the situation is under control.
“Whilst expressing regrets over the incident the Ministry wishes to reassure the Diplomatic community in Ghana and the Nigerian High Commission in particular that Ghana remains law-abiding country.
“Ghana upholds the principle of the rule of law, where due process is followed at all times.
“The government will therefore, not relent on its primary obligation to guarantee the safety of members of Diplomatic Corps in Ghana,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Geofrey Onyeama, had protested to the Ghanaian authorities on the development.
(NAN)
