Nigeria vs Ghana: Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information warn ‘enough is enough!’ for Ghana – Nigeria relations

E be like say di diplomatic relations between Nigerian and Ghana don dey get k-leg sake of how Ghanaian goment di close retail shops wey belong to Nigerians.

Nigeria goment say dem don record and document all di bad-bad tins wey Ghana authorities don do for Nigerians living in.

Dem mention some of dem wey include:

  • Di Nigerian Mission property wey dem seize. Di property dey for No. 10, Barnes Road, Accra. Nigerian Government don dey use dis property as diplomatic premises for almost 50 years and say dis thing wey dem do fit cause serious problem as dem don break di Vienna Convention rule.
  • Demolition of di Nigerian Mission property wey dey for No. 19/21 Julius Nyerere Street, East Ridge, Accra, another serious Vienna Convention rule wey dem break.
  • Di violent and continuous way dem take dey deport Nigerians from Ghana. Between Jan. 2018 and Feb. 2019, dem don deport 825 Nigerians from Ghana.
  • Closure of shops wey belong to Nigerians. Over 300 Nigerians shops na im dem lock up for four months for Kumasi in 2018; dem lock over 600 Nigerian shops in 2019 and, currently, over 250 Nigerians shops na im dey locked.
  • Ghana Immigrtion Service don put big money on top Residency Permit requirements, di money high pass di fees wey di Nigerian Immigration Service dey charge. These include di compulsory Non-citizen ID card wey cost (US$120, and US$60 for yearly renewal); Medical examinations, Covid-19 wey dem just introduce go cost about ($120), and payment for residency permit (US$400 compare to di N7,000 Ghanaians dey pay for residency card for Nigeria).
  • Outrageous stipulations for di Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act. When dem start di Act for 1994, foreigner go gats invest at least US$300,000 by way of equity capital and also employ 10 Ghanaians. Dem don amend dis act two times now, di 2018 GIPC Act don raise di minimum capital base for foreign-owned businesses to US$1m. Although na foreigners dem tok but e be like say di GIPC’s definition of foreigners na Nigerians. Di GIPC Act also dey against di ECOWAS Protocol.
  • Media war against Nigerians in Ghana. Di media for Ghana always dey carry negative tori about Nigerians wey dey live for Ghana. Dis kain tori dey fuel emerging xenophobic attitude towards Nigerian traders and Nigerians in general. Dis don lead to di continuous harassment and arrest of Nigerian traders and closure of their shops.
  • Harsh and one sided judicial trial and pronouncement of indiscriminately-long jail terms for convicted Nigerians. More than 200 Nigerians na im dey di Nsawam Maximum prison in Ghana alone.
Lai Mohammed on Ghana - Nigeria relations

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Minister of Information Lai Mohammed cut di warning on Friday.

Federal goment tok say even though over 1 million Ghanaians dey live for Nigeria, demm no dey treat dem di way Ghana dey treat Nigerians.

Oga Lai say di reason Ghana authorities give for di property wey dey No. 10, Barnes Road in Accra wey dem seize sake of say dem no renew di lease afta e expire no make sense as plenty Ghana goment property wey dia rent dey Nigeria don expire and dem no use because of that seize dem.

Nigeria say Ghana dey take dia relationship for granted and dem beg dia citizens wey dey Ghana make dem remain law abiding.

Meanwhile di diplomatic relations between Nigerian and Ghana don dey get k-leg sake of how Ghanaian goment dey close retail shops wey belong to Nigerians.

Di latest tori be say Ghanaian authority summon Nigeria Chargé d’Affaires to Ghana, Esther Adebola Arewa, make e answa query on top how Nigeria goment criticise dia policy to close retail shops wey belong to Nigerians.

Di Nigerian foreign minister, Geoffery Onyeama bin say di Ghana policy dey against Ecowas protocol of free trade and dat dem go drag Ghana go Ecowas court to judge di mata.

But Ghana Foreign affairs minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on top tweet say dia policy no target any particular kontri and dat sometimes, kontris gatz make tough decision to enforce dia laws.

She yarn give say even Nigeria last year close im borders to fight smuggling despite say dey decision affect oda members of ecowas kontri.

She further explain give say di believe say di crackdown on top shop dey politically motivated, no be true and dat e dey unfortunate for Nigeria foreign minister to think say dem di do am for political gain.

She say as e be now, Ghanaian law forbid any foreigner to engage for retail business especially inside di local market as leaders of for those market di put pressure on di goment to enforce dem.

So far, Ghana don close more than 200 shops wey belong to Nigerians.

Recently, di Nigerian goment also summon Ghana ambassador to Nigeria wia she promise say di goment don suspend di policy but wit dis latest report, e be like say di two kontri di head to put leg inside one trouser.