The Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has called for calm following the social media viral video where some Ghanaians were seen calling on the authorities to deport Nigerians living in the country.
Some protesters in the video accused Nigerians of ritual killing, armed robbery and domination of their markets in the unsubstantiated claims.
Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director, Public Relations and Protocol of the Commission, AbdurRahman Balogun, said the protesters’ “behaviours and attitudes were not in conformity with the norms of Ghana.”
NiDCOM warned that the blanket outrage against Nigerians living in Ghana and branding them as criminals should be condemned by all.
“Nigerians are not criminals. They are good ambassadors wherever they find themselves while those bad ones should be fished out to face necessary sanctions,” the Commission said.
It continued that “Ghana and Nigeria are like Siamese twins. They are brothers, and in the spirit of ECOWAS and regional integration should continue to live in peace like brothers”.
The NiDCOM boss thus appealed for calm and urged Nigerians living in Ghana not to be provoked or go into violence with anyone, assuring that the issue is being handled at the diplomatic level by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu.
She advised anyone using inciteful words, on both sides to desist henceforth, stressing that such statements are capable of escalating the matter.
Dabiri-Erewa also advised Nigerians to disregard the videos circulating that Nigerians’ shops and properties were being destroyed by Ghanaians.
“There is no evidence to that and we must at all cost try to prevent any reprisal attacks,” she counselled.
The NiDCOM boss commended Ghanaian and Nigeria High Commissioners for their efforts in controlling the situation, adding that the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, has also been in touch with Ghanaian authorities and had taken some pro-active measures.
