
By Comrade Barry Ndu N.
On Saturday 20th June, 2020, I received with shock and utter disbelief the demolition of certain properties belonging to the Nigerian High Commission at its Residence in Accra .
At first, i didn’t want to join the bandwagon of social media commentators till i got the right facts.
Firstly, I would wish to translate verbatim the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which was done at Vienna on 18th April 1961 and entered into force on 24th April 1964. Ghana and Nigeria just like other countries are signatories to this.
Article 1
(i) The “premises of the mission” are the buildings or parts of buildings and the land ancillary thereto, irrespective of ownership, used for the purposes of the mission including the residence of the head of the mission.
Article 22
(1)The premises of the mission shall be inviolable. The agents of the receiving State may not enter them, except with the consent of the head of the mission..
(2)The receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity…
As it stands, something has to be done immediately to mend the quiet but bitter hostility existing between these supposedly friendly countries in recent times.
The Press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not clarifying enough. The memo from the Paramount Chief of the Osu Traditional Area saying the land belongs to them is something i really cant understand.
The effrontery to bulldoze into a property belonging to a country just few meters away from where the High Commissioner sleeps and wakes up from? This clearly shows that even the High Commissioner is not safe.
The audacity is nauseating.. it is totally disgusting and unfriendly to say the least.
Based on Article 22 (2) of the Vienna Convention that Ghana and Nigeria are signatories to-
Why was the premises not fully protected by security officials even when they were called in ?
Is there an existing court case as regards this particular land where the properties were being put up?
Why would this ‘unknown’ person come late in the night to perpetrate this shameful act if he or she had a genuine case?
Is the Government of Ghana fully informed about any existing land tussle between the two parties considering that work has been going on there for some time?
We need answers to these and many more questions.
The Nigerian Government needs to truly rise up in defending and protecting its citizens across the world. Every diplomatic engagement should commence in finding a finite solution to this rascality The perpetrators should be summoned and legally dealt with because this a big affront on the Nigerian Government which may end up putting Ghana in bad light.
We are still pained and worried about the over 600 shops belonging to Nigerian traders locked in Circle since 1st December, 2019.
I expect the Nigerian High Commission Ghana to carry this cross in such a way that all of us would be fully made aware of the reality . I also sincerely expect the Presidency of Ghana/the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to come out clear in addressing this huge slap on the face of their neighbors, Nigeria..
Ghana and Nigeria have come so far that anything that tends to discredit or tarnish its relationship should be discouraged by all means.
I urge Nigerians around the globe and those pained by this act to remain calm as we hope effective diplomatic resolution is reached as soon as possible..
*Comrade Barry Ndu N.
Convener Ghana Nigeria Youth Initiative/Fmr. Public Relation Officer (National)All Nigerian CommunityGhana