Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs,Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama to interact and receive updates on what the Ministry has done on the the invasion and demolition of parts of the nation’s diplomatic mission in Accra,Ghana,over the weekend.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs,Rt. Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, stressed the importance of the emergency meeting in the face of the aggression that a sister West African nation, for whom Nigeria has been a most benevolent big brother, has visited on the Nigeria High Commission in Accra,Ghana.
The Gombi/ Hong Rep used the opportunity to regale the audience with the history of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Ghana since Independence,which he said ,has continued on a basis of mutuality and the principle of reciprocity, especially, in the award and allocation of land and buildings on generous terms and in the relationship between their both peoples ,who have maintained the free movement of goods,services and persons.
Rt. Hon. Buba said ,in spite of all the above,Ghana suddenly turned round to carry out continuous attacks on Nigerians living in that country and on their businesses through physical threats and harsh policies that are, usually, targetted at foreign nationals especially, Nigerians. He pointed out that the invasion and demolition of a structure at the nation’s diplomatic mission last Friday in Accra,Ghana,was the height of a series of cases of aggression,which came after Ghana had actually taken over a former mission building belonging to Nigeria in December 2019. He again condemned in no small voice all that Ghana has done in the case under review, stressing that Nigeria’s big- brother posturing towards Ghana has been greatly abused by the latter
In obliging updates on what happened in Ghana last Friday,Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, informed the Committee of the remorse that was being felt by the Ghanaian authorities with regards to the event of last weekend in Accra. He said, alongside Nigeria High Commission officials in Ghana, there was a collective quest to ascertain the true ownership of the land in dispute. Onyeama added that the Ghanaian President had personally ordered that all the perpetrators of that dastardly act be arrested and detained; and,also, pointed out that it was proper to diplomatically engage the Ghanaian authorities until that was fully exhausted. He used the opportunity to also inform that,he would soon be meeting with Mr President to brief him on the issue and the outcome of various diplomatic moves being made to achieve an amicable settlement of the issues at stake.
Events, however,took a new turn when at his arrival, House Speaker,Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamala, emphasised that what happened in Ghana was a clear case of external aggression on Nigeria’s sovereignty and diplomatic immunities and had nothing to do with the so- called issue of land tussle that was being promoted in the media space. He wondered how many countries of the world would take what Ghana did to Nigeria with the near- indiference with which the issue is being considered in the country. Speaker Gbajabiamala warrned that if the current excesses of Ghana and her people against Nigeria were not checked ,other smaller countries in the African region would , equally,rise against Nigeriia in any way they choose someday.
Members took turns to condemn in very strong terms all that has happened in Ghana against the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians,while warning that the use of force might be an option where diplomacy has constantly failed these past years as is evident in the case of Ghana.It was, therefore, unanimously, agreed that the House would at resumption of plenary next week make its position known to the world.
