President John Mahama of Ghana has calmed nerves, saying there is no place for xenophobia in the country in the aftermath of tension between Nigerians and Ghanaians in Ghana.
He assured that his administration is committed to the safety of Nigerians and their businesses in the country.
Mahama reaffirmed his commitment to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocols, especially the free movement of persons and goods in the region.
He stated this when he received the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, at the Presidential Palace, Accra.
A statement signed by the Special Assistant on Communication and New Media in the Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Magnus Eze, on Friday, said Mahama urged President Tinubu not to lose sleep over recent protests against Nigerian nationals resident in his country.
He stated that Nigeria and Ghana have a shared history.
President Mahama noted that the recirculation of an old video made by a Nigerian residing in Ghana over 10 years ago generated tension, but announced that the situation was swiftly managed.
The Ghanaian president assured the envoy of the safety and protection of the lives, properties, and businesses of Nigerians in Ghana.
Earlier, the minister thanked the Mahama for his hospitality since the Nigerian delegation arrived in Ghana.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said that every Nigerian back home was worried about the situation and concerned about the safety of Nigerian nationals in Ghana, their properties, and businesses; adding that her visit was to facilitate the establishment of a permanent Nigeria-Ghana Joint Commission.
She said that the joint commission would help in addressing the youth and the issue of migration caused by the huge demography of unemployed people under 45 years.
In a post on her X handle, she described the meeting as an engaging one.
“The Ghanaian President is committed to promoting peaceful coexistence as had hitherto been the situation between Ghanaian citizens and the Nigerian community and to ensure that both citizens and non-citizens, including their properties and assets, are safe and secure,” she stated.
She wrote: “It was an engaging session with the President of Ghana H.E John Dramani Mahama to convey the concerns of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H E Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the people of Nigeria over the recent protests against Nigerian nationals in Ghana .
” The Ghanaian President is committed to promoting peaceful coexistence as had hitherto been the situation between Ghanaian citizens and the Nigerian community and to ensure that both citizens and non-citizens, including their properties and assets are safe and secure.
“He also called for all residents to adhere to the laws of the country and avoid inflammatory rhetoric capable of creating tensions and fanning embers of violence, reiterating that Nigeria and Ghana have a shared history, and are strategic pillars of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West Africa States.”
