The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has appealed for calm, following calls by some Ghanaians for the deportation of Nigerians from the country.
A statement on Thursday by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, said she spoke during a joint press conference with Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Ablakwa, in Accra, on Wednesday.
She said the viral videos depicting protests had raised concerns in Nigeria, prompting President Bola Tinubu to dispatch her as a special envoy to assess the situation firsthand.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said, “We are here in the Republic of Ghana on a fact-finding mission as special envoy of President Bola Tinubu as a result of recent disturbances that have made the rounds in Nigeria.
“We are pleased to note that things are rather calm here. Since we arrived, I haven’t seen people burning tyres in the streets or carrying placards everywhere calling for Nigerians to be deported.”
She attributed the calm to the Ghanaian government’s intervention, adding that the fears raised by the videos seemed to have subsided upon assessment of the actual situation.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu reiterated the long-standing relationship between Nigeria and Ghana, cautioning against the spread of inciting content that could escalate tensions between citizens of both countries.
She disclosed that her delegation had met with Ghanaian officials, community leaders, and individuals involved in the situation to ease tensions.
She also called for the institutionalisation of the Nigeria-Ghana Joint Commission to promote stronger bilateral relations and citizen-to-citizen engagement.
In his remarks, Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ablakwa, said the government was engaging both Ghanaian citizens and the Nigerian community to address concerns and maintain peace.
“The Ghanaian government will ensure that everyone in the country, citizens and non-citizens, is protected,” he said, adding that residents must also be law-abiding and avoid divisive actions.
He stated that the viral videos were not a true reflection of the situation and disclosed that he had met with the Nigerian accused of attempting to form a kingdom in Ghana, clarifying that territorial intentions were not the motive.
Ablakwa recalled past episodes of diplomatic strain between the two countries, including Ghana’s Aliens Repatriation Order and Nigeria’s 1983 “Ghana Must Go” expulsion, stressing the need for both nations to learn from history and manage relations carefully.
“Regardless of our shared history, if these things are not managed well, it will take us back to certain dark occurrences in our history,” he said.
