- Safiu Kehinde
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, has on Thursday met with Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Ablakwa, over the anti-Nigerian protests targeting Nigerians living in Ghana.
Ojukwu made the disclosure in a post shared on her X handle on Thursday.
The Minister who had yesterday announced her arrival at the Accra, the country’s capital, disclosed that her meeting with the Ghanaian Minister seeks to address the concerns arising from the demonstrations, where some Ghanaian citizens reportedly accused Nigerians of contributing to rising crime levels.
Ojukwu said that Ablakwa assured her of the protection of lives and properties of Nigerians living in the neighbouring West African country.
“Meeting with the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Hon. Samuel Ablakwa, to address the situation of Nigeria-Ghana citizens’ relations in the aftermath of protests against Nigerians living in Ghana,
“The Minister assured that the lives, properties and businesses of Nigeria and Nigerians living in Ghana are safe and protected, and that there is certainly no threat of mass deportations of our nationals residing in Ghana.” She wrote.
Prior to her meeting with the Minister, Ojukwu met with the Inspector-General of Police of Ghana who received her at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra yesterday.
She had, in the post announcing her arrival, maintained that the Federal Government is exploring all avenues to ensure diplomatic resolution of the lingering crisis.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria in line with President Ahmed Tinubu’s citizen diplomacy foreign policy thrust is exploring all avenues to bring a diplomatic resolution to the crisis involving widespread protests in Ghana against Nigerian nationals resident in Ghana following repeated incidents of criminal activities blamed on foreign nationals.
“Nigeria and Ghana are brothers with a shared history and a common bond. Both governments are committed to protecting and strengthening the special relationship that binds our countries.” Ojukwu wrote.
According to reports, the anti-Nigerian protests, which were captured in a viral video, showed demonstrators calling on Ghanaian authorities to expel Nigerians over alleged misconduct.