In recent years, diplomatic
relationship between Nigeria and Ghana has suffered a dip. There have been
banters on both sides of the national divides by governments of both nations
over policies that have affected the two countries.
Ghana and Nigeria share long
historical ties dating back to as long as the slave trade era. Both nations had
had outposts that were major export points for the export of both slaves and
huge minerals and agricultural resources produced from the region. Ghana
especially served as the outlying post where Nigerian slaves had to lodge
before they headed for the Americas where they worked as slaves in agricultural
plantations.
Some slaves from Nigeria were
also sent to Gold mines scattered across the Gold coast where they interacted
and associated with those from the Gold coast. Nigerian slaves thus intermingled
and married Ghanaians producing offspring some of them still bearing names
whose routes can be traced to Nigeria. Today, intermarriage between the two
nations has continued to blossom despite the political differences of the last
few years.
In the early years of
colonialism, both countries had played significant roles in the struggle for
African independence that characterized the 1950’s. While both countries fought
hard for their independence, the colonialists offered to use Ghana as a
starting point to test the workability of an independent Africa. Thus Ghana
became the first African country in 1957 to get an independent status, Nigeria
followed later in 1960. Kwame Nkrumah and Nnamdi Azikiwe were close allies in
this fight.
It was only natural that after both
countries obtained independence that they would continue on this path that
destiny had brought them together for.
The journey to nationhood had
been filled with ups and downs for the two nations. Leaders proved to be
corrupt seizing the opportunity to lead their nation to amass wealth for
themselves thus leading to massive distrust, coups and counter coups on both
ends of the divide.
Both nations suffered their first
fracas when in 1967, Nigerians in Ghana were sent packing back to Ghana amidst
the air of uncertainty that had characterized Nigeria after the coup that brought
in General Yakubu Gowon. Nigerians had found Ghana a second home and many of
them had started businesses and taken jobs there when they were sent packing by
the government of Lieutenant-General Joseph Arthur Ankrah who had overthrown President Nkrumah in a
coup. The years after were civil war years for Nigeria and the country had to
contend with the challenges of fighting a mainstream war.
Corruption remained a challenge
in both countries but Nigeria was on the safer end with the huge oil deposits
which she was exporting during the oil boom years. With more opportunities in Nigeria,
the tide turned to Nigeria’s favour. With porous borders, Ghanaians flocked to
Nigeria in great number providing cheap labour in the Nigerian employment market.
Very soon Ghanaians who had no proper immigration documentations were taking
over opportunities in Nigeria as multinational companies headed by foreigner
chose them due to their cheap service to the anger of Nigerians.
The indigenization degree of 1972
which was later amended in 1977 would give the Nigerian government power to
have the largest share in many of the multinational companies and empowered Nigerians
to take over leadership positions in those companies. This saw many foreigners
leaving the shores of Nigeria due to the loss of their jobs.
Shehu Shagari, the Nigerian
leader in 1983 subsequently declared the expulsion of an estimated two
million undocumented migrants living in the country. Half of them were
Ghanaian. In his words “If they don’t leave, they should be arrested and tried
and sent back to their homes. Illegal immigrants, under normal circumstances,
should not be given any notice whatsoever”.
Since the 80’s the two countries
had tried to rebuild diplomatic ties. The formation of the ECOWAS in 1975 had
been a new bond to strengthen the countries in the sub-region and especially
these two countries that played significant roles in its formation. The event
of 1983 would lead to a lack of progress on the ECOWAS front that had been
pushed by both countries. Nothing seemed to work between the two countries
through the years under the military regimes of Ibrahim Badmosi Babangida and
General Mohammed Abacha and General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Fast forward to this present
democratic republic. When Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became president of Nigeria,
he worked hard to culture Nigeria’s diplomatic relations that had broken on
several fronts as result of those bad years of leadership. His work built again
those relationships that the country had broken, starting from Ghana.
Both nations blossomed under
a new relationship that brought about trust on both ends with Nigerians once again
seeing Ghana as a good destination to do business and Ghanaian business too
were getting a good deal on the Nigerian end.
Both countries even hosted
the Confederations of African Football CAF Nations Cup in year 2000 and it
seemed the good old days were back again.
When in recent years the news
media went abashed with news of bad treatment meted to Nigerians in Ghana, it
got Nigerians talking. True Nigerians have been on the bad end of Xenophobic
attacks in South Africa as well as some other African countries that see them
as threats, but to have expected attacks from Ghanaians was way out of it. The Ghanaian
government was quick to rebuff the news with a statement that there were no
such attacks on Nigerians.
Only recently, the Nigerian
High Commission had made a statement complaining about the ill treatment meted
on Nigerians and the mission. She said the mission’s building inside the
Nigerian Embassy had been demolished, that some Nigerians were deported illegally
amidst several other accusations.
It’s looking like Ghanaians
are beginning to show the Nigerian government how to be sane and do things we
right. We’ve been used to life where anything goes and no one would wink an
eye. Ghana seems to have passed our level.
In claims made by the Ghanaian
government, the said building was rented in the 60’s and the Nigerian
government rented the building for four years but had refused to pay the rent since
it expired decades ago. Only recently the Osu traditional stool ordered its demolition
when the Nigerian government proved not to be forthcoming on the agreements
made.
The Ghanaian system seems to
give so much power to the traditional stools while the opposite is the case in Nigeria.
We play politics with our stools leading to the loss of core traditional values
that had once heralded those stools.
And for the number of Nigerians
recently deported from Ghana, the Nigerian government had said that 825
Nigerians were harassed and deported from Ghana while the Ghanaian government came
clear claiming that only 700 Nigerians were deported and it was on grounds of fraud,
prostitution, robbery as well as other crimes.
It’s a fact that Nigerian criminals
have found Ghana as a safe haven. If the Ghanaian government has found it good
to do something about this, that’s just good and fine for them and for us.
Ghanaians have realized the
bitter truth, that they must create space for their own development. No one
will do this for them. If they will give tax reliefs to their own home grown businesses
and hit hard on foreign businesses to allow for home grown businesses to grow, it
shouldn’t be our problem as Nigerians. We should rather be thinking of our
country where businesses are heavily taxed and no one is saying anything about
it.
How does the Nigerian government
expect Ghana to survive when a bulk of its trade was with Nigeria and they had
lost tangible market for their products because the Seme-Krake borders are
closed. The Nigeria government should think again.
Those Nigerians who are
complaining about how Ghanaians are treating them should return home. Did they
expect greener pastures n Ghana when Nigeria isn’t green enough for them? No country
would want to treat foreigners better than her citizens. It’s only in Nigeria
we treat foreigners as gods while we make our citizens beggars.
Let Nigerians in Ghana return
to Nigeria and get Nigeria working. Ghanaians returned to Ghana to work Ghana,
there is still space for Ghana based Nigerians in Nigeria.
By the way, Ghana isn’t America
or Europe where we are made to believe that dollars and euros are picked on the
streets. If Ghana isn’t welcoming, please don’t kill yourself, return home. Nigeria
is too big; you will certainly find a conducive corner to do your business and
hide in Nigeria.
It’s good that the speaker of
the Nigerian House of Representatives, a voice for the welfare of Nigerians abroad,
has visited his Ghanaian counterpart to discuss the issues on both ends of the
divide. While we hope the meeting will improve relations between the two
countries, it’s time for Nigerians to think Nigeria.
Let’s get Nigeria to work so
that Nigerians aren’t forced to undergo inhumane conditions in foreign nations
in a bid to make ends meet. Nigerian government, this is a call for you to wake
up.
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