FG reacts to report that Ghana evicted Nigeria's high commission

Akinyemi Akinrujomu

6 hrs ago

 

- The federal government says Nigeria's high commission was not evicted in Ghana but only suffered an accommodation problem

- Spokesperson of the foreign affairs ministry, Nwonye, says the matter will be resolved in due time

- Ambassador Abikoye, Nigeria's High Commissioner to Ghana, says they are already having another problem with the temporary allocation as well

The federal government has denied claims that Ghana has evicted Nigeria's high commissioner to the West African country.

FG reacts to report that Ghana evicted Nigeria's high commission 

 

Daily Sun newspaper reported on Thursday, January 2 that contrary to rumours making the rounds, the ministry of foreign affairs has clarified that Ghana did not send the country's envoy packing.

The report said the clarification was made by the ministry's spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, who said the envoy was neither sent out of the chancery or high commission.

Nwonye said the property located on 10, Barnes Road, Accra, Ghana, is one of the official quarters of the High Commission.

What happened, he noted, was that the property had a lease agreement signed between the Nigerian Ministry of Finance and Ghana. 

The lease expired in August 2019 and the Ghanaian government, which ought to have informed Nigeria of the expiration of the lease, decided instead to lay claim to the property.

“We are working on it; there is no cause for alarm. It is not our chancery, not our residence, it is just one of our official quarters and has been unoccupied for some time. Though we have some items inside it, no one is occupying it,” Nwonye said.

Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, was said to have been forcefully evicted from its diplomatic property in Accra and re-allocated to Amaco Microfinance in August 26, 2019, by Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources without the consent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

Solicitors acting on behalf of Amaco Microfinance Company Limited, Accra, have now, however, directed the high commission to vacate the property.

“As at December 31, 2019, the property has been broken into by the company and is being ransacked with the likelihood of being effectively occupied,” Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Michael Abikoye, confirmed.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported recently that Ambassador Abikoye urged visiting government officials to make the Nigerian embassies and foreign missions their first point of call when they travel on official trips.

Abikoye stated this during a courtesy visit by the coordinator of Presidential Amnesty Program, Professor Charles Quaker Dokubo and his team.

The presidential aide is in Ghana to visit some of the ex-Niger Delta agitators who are currently undergoing training in the West African country. 

 Legit News