The Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said it will punish those involved in the destruction of the Nigerian High Commission building in Accra.
Recall that few days ago, armed men had invaded the commission in Accra to supervise the demolition of a building under construction by the High Commission.
Since the incident, Nigeria has reacted to the attack, saying it violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations whose Article 22 regards the premises of a diplomatic mission, such as an embassy, as inviolable and that must not be entered by the host country except by permission of the head of the mission.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, in a Tweet at the weekend, asked the Ghanaian Government to bring those responsible for the attack to book.
According to him, the Nigerian government is currently engaging with the Ghanaian authorities over the incident.
“We strongly condemn two outrageous criminal attacks in Accra, #Ghana, on a residential building in our diplomatic premises by unknown persons in which a bulldozer was used to demolish the building.
“We are engaging the Ghanaian Government and demand urgent action to find the perpetrators and provide adequate protection for Nigerians and their property in Ghana,” the minister tweeted.
In a statement, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Intervention said the incident is being investigated with the aim of bringing perpetrators to book.
The ministry said security has been beefed up at the commission, assuring the Nigerian authorities that “the situation is under control”.
“It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration that unidentified individuals had allegedly breached the premises of the Nigeria High Commission in Accra and demolished its property under construction around 10:30pm on Friday, 19th June, 2020,” the statement read.
“The Ministry views, with concern, this development which is a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR. 1961).
“Accordingly, investigations are ongoing to unravel the facts of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book. Meanwhile, the Government of Ghana has beefed up security at the said facility and the situation is under control.
“Whilst expressing regrets over the incident, the Ministry wishes to reassure the Diplomatic community in Ghana and the Nigeria High Commission in particular, that Ghana remains a Iaw-abiding country that upholds the principle of the rule of law, where due process is followed at all times. The Government will, therefore, not relent on its primary obligation to guarantee the safety of Members of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana.”
