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Tag: Ghana

  • Gbajabiamila jets to Ghana today over alleged maltreatment of Nigerians

    Gbajabiamila jets to Ghana today over alleged maltreatment of Nigerians

    House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila will visit Ghana today to liaise with his Ghanaian counterpart over the misunderstanding between Nigeria and Ghana.

    Gbajabiamila stated this on Tuesday while addressing State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    The Speaker, who said he was at the Villa to rub minds with the President on the diplomatic row, described his planned visit as “Legislative Diplomacy”.

    Last week, the Speaker said the closure of Nigerian shops in Ghana contravened Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) trade protocols and called for a decisive solution between both countries.

    “It is a usual engagement, like we always say when issues come up. I see Mr. President and find out and run things by him and we discuss issues. One of the issues we discussed today is that I will be leaving for Ghana tomorrow to meet with the Speaker of the Parliament in Ghana to look at the issues on the ground as they affect our citizens. Then, we will try and calm things down and see if there’s a way forward.

    “I’ll meet with the Speaker tomorrow. I informed the President and he’s aware of every single step that we are taking all the way. We hope that we’ll come to an amicable settlement, one way or the other.

    “It’s called Legislative Diplomacy. If you remember very well, during the days when I was Leader of the House, I led the delegation to South Africa during the crisis there with Nigerians. We were able to accomplish quite a bit, to simmer things down at that time,” he said.

    When he was asked if his consultation would involve demands to the Ghanaian government, the Speaker said: “No demands; we are just going to discuss in the spirit of African Parliaments and we’ll be looking at issues from time to time as they affect African countries. This is one of them.”

    On the current situation between Nigeria and Ghana, Gbajabiamila said he would rather not speak for now.

    According to him, all efforts should be focused on sorting out the relationship and not heating up the atmosphere with comments.

  • Tit for tat: Ghana unapologetic over $1m traders’ levy, faults Nigeria’s border closure, others

    Tit for tat: Ghana unapologetic over $1m traders’ levy, faults Nigeria’s border closure, others

    The Ghanaian Minister of Information, Kojo Nkrumah, on Sunday, defended the $1 million trade levy and other regulations imposed on Nigerian traders in Ghana, noting that Nigeria had equally issued executive orders preventing foreigners from getting jobs which Nigerians can do.

    The minister said it was astonishing that Ghanaian laws could be described as outrageous, noting that it was on record that Nigeria had taken a number of steps in pursuit of its national interests.

    He cited the closure of the Seme Krake borders since August 2019 as part of steps taken by the Federal Government, which, he said, had affected the neighbouring countries.

    Nkrumah accused Nigerian traders in Ghana of gross violations of retail trade laws, including tax evasion, immigration offences, and selling substandard products.

    He said there was widespread abuse and disregard for local laws and regulations governing retail trade by some foreigners, including Nigerians, which needed to be addressed.

    Nkrumah stated this in reaction to a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that the Federal Government would no longer condone the reported harassment of Nigerians in the former Gold Coast.

    Mohammed had in his statement last Friday listed various acts of aggression against Nigeria and its citizens by the Ghanaian authorities, including the take over of some Nigerian diplomatic properties, discriminatory deportation of 825 Nigerians within one year, and harsh jail sentences on Nigerian nationals.

    Contrary to Mohammed’s claims that 825 Nigerians were deported between January 2018 and February 2019, the minister explained that 700 Nigerians involved in fraud, prostitution, and armed robbery were deported from Ghana.

    Nkrumah stated, “The Federal Republic (Nigeria), on the other hand, is on record to have taken a number of steps in recent months, in pursuit of her national interests, which have gravely affected other countries in the region.

    “These include the closure of Nigeria’s Seme Krake border from August 2019 to date and the issuance of executive orders by Nigeria’s Presidency preventing foreigners from getting jobs which Nigerians can do, to mention a few.”

    The minister assured that the Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, would engage with his counterpart, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and develop a framework for validating the claims of ill-treatment of citizens of either country and ensure they enjoy the full exercise of their rights while respecting the sovereignty and laws of both countries.

    Responding to the allegations raised by Mohammed point by point in a four-page statement, Nkrumah said his counterpart’s assertion on the alleged seizure of Nigerian Mission property located at No. 10, Barnes road, Accra, was incorrect, noting that the land was acquired by Nigeria from a private citizen, Thomas Hardy, on October 23, 1959.

    The minister explained that the commercial lease on the land expired 46 years ago without any evidence of renewal by the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana.

    “The Government of Ghana was not involved in the transaction and had not seized the property in question,” the minister stressed.

    In response to the claim that the lease on some of the properties owned by the Ghana Mission in Nigeria had expired, Nkrumah explained that Accra had acquired a freehold land at Pope John Paul Street, Maitama, Abuja, through a commercial arrangement in 1989 and built a residential structure for the staff.

    He stated that the residential building on the Nigerian Mission premises in Accra demolished in June was carried out by a representative of the Osu traditional stool and had nothing to do with the government.

    On the high residency permit levies, including the $120 for COVID-19 test imposed by the authorities, Ghana stated that this applied to all foreigners and not just Nigerians.

    Speaking on the closure of over 1,000 shops belonging to Nigerians over non-payment of the $1 million trade levy, the information minister stated, “The compliance exercises conducted in the selected markets revealed gross violations of retail trade laws and regulations by Ghanaians and foreigners, including Nigerians.

    “These violations included tax evasion, immigration offences, trading in substandard products, violation of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre law, improper registration of firms, under-payment of business operating permits, falsification of documents, among others.”

  • Don’t push us to retaliation, FG warns Ghanaian authorities over maltreatment of Nigerians

    Don’t push us to retaliation, FG warns Ghanaian authorities over maltreatment of Nigerians

    The Federal Government says it will no longer tolerate the incessant harassment of its citizens in Ghana and the progressive acts of hostility towards the country by Ghanaian authorities.

    In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, the government said it was urgently considering a number of options aimed at ameliorating the situation.

    The statement signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that the government had been documenting the acts of hostility towards its people and authorities.

    The minister listed such hostilities to include the seizure of the Nigerian Mission’s property located at No. 10, Barnes Road, Accra, which the Nigerian Government had used as diplomatic premises for almost 50 years.

    He said the government considered the action as a serious breach of the Vienna Convention.

    Mohammed added that the demolition of the Nigerian Mission’s property located at No. 19/21 Julius Nyerere Street, East Ridge, Accra, was another serious breach of the Vienna Convention.

    He said the government also frowned at the aggressive and incessant deportation of Nigerians from Ghana, noting that between Jan. 2018 and Feb. 2019, no fewer than 825 Nigerians were deported from <span;>Ghana.

    Mohammed noted that more than 300 Nigerian shops were locked for four months in Kumasi in 2018, while over 600 Nigerian shops were locked in 2019, and currently, over 250 Nigerian shops had been locked.

    “Residency Permit requirements for which the Ghana Immigration Service has placed huge fees, far higher than the fees charged by the Nigerian Immigration Service.

    “These include the compulsory Non-citizen ID card (120 U.S.120 dollars, and 60 U.S. dollars for yearly renewal), Medical examinations, including for Covid-19 which is newly-introduced (about 120 U.S. dollars), and payment for residency permit (400 U.S dollars compared to the N7,000 being paid by Ghanaians for residency card in Nigeria).”

    The minister also identified outrageous stipulations in the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act.

    “When the Act was initially promulgated in 1994, a foreigner is required to invest at least 300 000 U.S. dollars by way of equity capital and also employ 10 Ghanaians.

    “This Act has now been amended twice, with the 2018 GIPC Act raising the minimum capital base for foreign-owned businesses to one million U.S. dollars.

    “Though targeted at foreigners, it seems GIPC’s definition of foreigners is Nigerians. The GIPC Act also negates the ECOWAS Protocol.

    The minister said that the Federal Government frowned at the media war against Nigerians in Ghana.

    “He raised the alarm that the negative reportage of issues concerning Nigerians resident in Ghana by the Ghanaian media was fuelling an emerging xenophobic attitude towards Nigerian traders and Nigerians in general.

    “The immediate fallout is the incessant harassment and arrest of Nigerian traders and closure of their shops.

    “Harsh and openly-biased judicial trial and pronouncement of discriminately-long jail terms for convicted Nigerians.

    “There are currently more than 200 Nigerians in the Nsawam Maximum prison in Ghana alone,” he said.

    Mohammed said the Government would like to put on record the fact that even though more than one million Ghanaians are resident in Nigeria, they are not being subjected to the kind of hostility being meted out to Nigerians in Ghana.

    He added that, though the main reason given for the seizure of Federal Government property at No. 10, Barnes Road in Accra was the non-renewal of lease after expiration, the Ghanaian authorities did not give Nigeria the right of first refusal or the notice to renew the lease.

    “By contrast, the lease on some of the properties occupied by the Ghanaian Mission in Nigeria has long expired, yet such properties have not been seized.

    “Nigeria has time after time demonstrated its fidelity to the long cordial relations with Ghana.

    “But indications, especially in recent times, are that Nigeria’s stance is now being taken for granted and its citizens being made targets of harassment and objects of ridicule.

    “This will no longer be tolerated under any guise,” he said.

    According to Mohammed, the government is appealing to its citizens resident in Ghana to remain law abiding and avoid engaging in self help, in spite of their ordeal.

  • FG angry over closure of Nigerians’ shops in Ghana, threatens reprisal

    FG angry over closure of Nigerians’ shops in Ghana, threatens reprisal

    The Federal Government has condemned the closure of the business premises belonging to Nigerians by the Ghanaian authorities, saying it may consider retaliatory actions.

    The government also said that it may drag Ghana to the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States, if found to have breached the sub-regions Protocol of Free Movement of Peoples.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said this in Abuja on Monday, during a meeting with a delegation of the League of Progressive Ambassadors of Nigeria led by its President, Mr Jasper Emenike, which briefed him on the harassment of Nigerian traders in Ghana.

    Ghanaian officials had sealed off the shops belonging to Nigerian traders in Accra for allegedly failing to have the $1 million equity stipulated by the Ghana Investment Promotions Council.

    The minister recalled that the FG reached an agreement with Ghana on the GIPC regulations over a year ago but expressed concern that the matter has reared its head again.

    He added that the Ghanaian code that made retail trade the exclusive preserve of Ghanaians appeared to be in conflict with the ECOWAS Protocol.

    Onyeama noted, “What is the point of having an economic community if at the end of the day, each country will make laws and regulations that are in contradiction with the protocol? That is an issue that needs to be addressed.”

  • 55 High School students test positive for Covid-19 as Ghana partially opens schools

    55 High School students test positive for Covid-19 as Ghana partially opens schools

    Fifty-five (55) persons at the Accra Girls Senior High School (SHS) have tested positive for COVID-19, the authorities have confirmed.

    A joint statement issued by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Educations Service (GES), dated Monday July 13, 2020 said the infected persons comprise students and staff at the school.

    The development comes weeks after schools in Ghana partially reopened in June.

    The cases were detected after 314 persons at the school were tested for the virus, 259 persons tested negative.

    “Following the first report of COVID-19 cases in some Senior High Schools in the country on 6th July, 2020, the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Education Service instituted a number of measures to determine the extent of the outbreak and containment measures,” the statement said.

    “Accra Girls Senior High School has recorded most cases from the first report to date.

    As at 13th July, 2020, a total of 314 persons (student and staff) from the School have been tested.

    Out of these, 55 have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 while 259 persons tested negative”.

    Actions taken after positive tests According to the statement, all the infected persons have been segregated from other students.

    Also, all their contacts have been identified and tested.

    Other measures include taken by the authorities include; • Restriction of number of students that attend dining at a particular time • Enforcement of social distancing protocols, enhanced hand hygiene practices and the proper use of the facemask • Disinfection of the entire school has been carried out • Adequate PPEs have been provided to health staff stationed in the school • Education on COVID-19 prevention and control has been intensified within the school • Counselling and psychological support is being provided to the students • The school has designated a quarantine and isolation centre • Parents and guardians of affected student have been duly contacted • Staff of the school have been reassured.

  • Ghanaian president goes into self-isolation as associate contracts COVID-19

    Ghanaian president goes into self-isolation as associate contracts COVID-19

    Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has gone into a 14-day self-isolation after one of his close associates tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a statement has said.

    The statement signed by the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, late Saturday said Akufo-Addo decided to take the precautionary measure in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

    The statement added that although his initial test on Saturday was negative, the president “has elected to take this measure out of the abundance of caution’’.

    “During this precautionary period of self-isolation, the president will work from the presidential villa at the Jubilee House,’’ it said.

  • US, India, Ghana write FG, demand extradition of 11 Nigerians over alleged fraud

    US, India, Ghana write FG, demand extradition of 11 Nigerians over alleged fraud

    Three countries, the United States of America, India and Ghana, have written respectively to the Federal Government requesting the extradition of 11 Nigerians, a report has revealed.

    The cases for which the Nigerians are wanted in the foreign countries include money laundering, obtaining under false pretences, fraud as well as drug-related offences.

    The report, titled ‘Ministerial Performance Report May 2019 – May 2020’ was prepared by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and presented to the Federal Executive Council.

    According to the report, the ministry’s Department of International Cooperation received eight extradition requests from US; three from Ghana and one from India between May 2019 and May 2020.

    The report said the department also received 62 requests for assistance in investigation under the Mutual Legal Assistance Nigeria signed with the named countries.

    The ministry noted that it had sent letters to INTERPOL to locate the persons named in some of the extradition requests, adding, however, that it rejected the only extradition request from India which involved a case of alleged money laundering concerning four Indians.

    “The request was denied by the HAGF (Honourable Attorney General of the Federation) because the offences allegedly committed by the suspects appeared to be political in nature.

    “Letter denying the request was sent to India,” the report read.

    The report noted that 42 Memoranda of Understanding and agreements between Nigeria and other countries were vetted during the period, while the ministry’s Department of Public Prosecutions received 1,120 terrorism-related cases in one year.

    It noted further that 500 of the 1,120 cases had been filed at the Federal High Court “while others have been recommended for de-radicalisation.”

    The ministry is projecting that by December, about 250 cases would have been concluded while all the cases would have been concluded by 2023.

    It added that over 3,392 general/financial matters-related cases were received from the Nigeria Police for prosecution at the magistrate courts due to the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

    It added, “We are happy to report that over 1,000 of these cases have been completed in the magistrate courts, with the defendants sentenced to various years in the correctional services.”

    While noting that more cases were being received daily, the ministry projected that about 2,500 cases would have been completed by December.

    The ministry added that it was currently prosecuting 1,359 cases of conspiracy/armed robbery and 10 cases of Securities and Exchange Commission-related offences.

    On hostage taking and kidnapping, the report indicated that the ministry had 10 cases in court while it was also handling seven cases of pipeline vandalism and 10 cases of electricity equipment vandalism.

    The ministry said it had 25 pending cases before the Court of Appeal and 10 cases before the Supreme Court.

  • Ghanaian Politician, Sir John dies of Coronavirus

    Ghanaian Politician, Sir John dies of Coronavirus

    Popular Ghanaian politician, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie also known as Sir John has died from COVID-19 complications.

    It was gathered that the lawyer cum politician died on Wednesday, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after a brief illness.

    The Forestry Commission boss had tested positive for the novel Coronavirus and reportedly passed on due to complications of the disease while undergoing treatment at the Teaching Hospital.

    Until his death, Sir John was the CEO of the Forestry Commission.

    He was appointed as the CEO of the Forestry Commission in March 2017 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

  • FG accepts Ghana’s apology over embassy demolition

    FG accepts Ghana’s apology over embassy demolition

    Nigeria has expressed satisfaction over the moves by the Government of Ghana to address the demolition of the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Accra.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, told newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, that the government had taken note of the efforts of President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo and Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayokor Botchwey to calm the situation.

    He however expressed concerns that reports indicated that the perpetrators of the act were unhindered and had a lot of time despite calls to the Ghanaian authorities by the Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana.

    He added that further reports indicated that the security operatives who were on ground during the demolition, seemed to have been supportive of those carrying out the violation on Nigeria’s Sovereign territory in Ghana.

    He however noted that the perpetrators had been arrested and arraigned in court and the government of Ghana had apologised and equally promised to rectify all the pending paper works that led to the misinformation of the Lands Commission in Ghana.

    “The Government of Ghana has assumed total responsibility and with the apology, have made it clear that they will be responsible for restitution – rebuilding the building to the state that it was when it was destroyed.

    “So, this is to say that the matter has been satisfactorily resolved and that at very highest level as I mentioned, President Muhammadu Buhari personally engaged in this process.

    “The President of Ghana has apologised, those who carried out the action have been arrested and charged to court and the Ghana government has agreed to rebuild the property.

    “So, we would like to put the matter to rest and to acknowledge the very speedy reaction of the Ghanaian government and to say that we will now continue to further strengthen relations between our two countries, take lessons learnt from what has happened and move ahead without recriminations,” Onyeama said.

  • Nigeria couldn’t provide required landed documents for demolished high commission, says Ghana

    The Ghanaian government on THursday said Nigeria did not have the required documents for the land on which a building was demolished in Accra last week.

    Recall that President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana has called his Nigerian counterpart to apologise over the incident.

    In a statement, Shirley Botchwey, Ghana’s foreign affairs minister, said during investigation, it was discovered that although Nigeria paid for the land in 2000, it could not present a land title certificate.

    Botchwey said the certificate had been issued to Nigeria, remphasising that the demolished structure would be rebuilt.

    “Following the incident regarding the breach of the premises of the High Commission of Nigeria, located at 19/21 Julius Nyerere Street, Ringway Estates, East Ridge, Accra, on Friday, 19th June, 2020 at about 23:00 hours, a committee comprising officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, the Lands Commission, National Security Secretariat and the Ghana Police Service was constituted to investigate the incident and make appropriate recommendations,” she said.

    “The High Commission of Nigeria presented letter referenced SCR/LCS 74/VOL.2/95 dated 7th August, 2000, granting allocation and right of entry to the High Commission, a 4-acre parcel of land in the Accra Osu Mantse Layout. The High Commission of Nigeria further presented receipts of payments on the said land, made by Bankers Draft payable to the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission. However, Land Title Certificate had not been issued to the High Commission.

    “The Lands Commission stated that the said 4-acre parcel of land is part of vested land which is owned by the Osu Stool and managed by the Lands Commission. In June 2019, the Osu Stool requested the Greater Accra Regional Lands Commission to grant a lease in respect of a part of the said land to a third party.

    “The Lands Commission revealed that a letter referenced AC 14826 of 4th July, 2019, signed by the Regional Lands Officer and addressed to the High Commission of Nigeria, informed that the Osu Stool had requested the Lands Commission to grant a lease to a third party on the land in question. The Lands Commission, therefore, advised the High Commission of Nigeria to provide relevant documents on ownership of the land, but the former did not receive any response.

    “Based on the silence of the High Commission of Nigeria, the Lands Commission went ahead and issued a Land Title Certificate covering the said parcel of land to a third party. The Lands Commission has confirmed that the letter of 7th August, 2000, presented by the High Commission of Nigeria granting allocation and right of entry to the High Commission, was genuine and, indeed, emanated from its Head Office.”

    Botchwey said the the government of Ghana would engage those laying claim to the land so that the issue would be resolved amicably.

    She said those arrested over the breach of the premises of the high commission of Nigeria were still being investigated , adding that the investigators would expedite action “given the delicate nature of the matter and its potential ramifications on Ghana–Nigeria relations