Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, has held a meeting with Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Ablakwa, to calm rising tensions in Ghana following protests targeting Nigerians living in the country.
In a statement shared Thursday, July 31, on her social media page, Ojukwu revealed that the meeting focused on concerns raised by recent demonstrations where some Ghanaian citizens blamed Nigerians for a rise in criminal activity.
“Meeting with the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Hon. Samuel Ablakwa, to address the situation of Nigeria-Ghana citizens’ relations in the aftermath of protests against Nigerians living in Ghana,” Ojukwu wrote.
She added that the Ghanaian government had given assurances that Nigerians living in the country were not under threat. .
“The Minister assured that the lives, properties and businesses of Nigeria and Nigerians living in Ghana are safe and protected, and that there is certainly no threat of mass deportations of our nationals residing in Ghana.”
Her visit came just a day after she announced her arrival in Accra at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday. She was received at the Kotoka International Airport by the Inspector-General of Police of Ghana.
READ ALSO: Deportation Threats: NIDCOM Condemns Anti-Nigerian Protest in Ghana, Urges Calm
Ojukwu explained that the Federal Government was exploring diplomatic channels to de-escalate the situation, which followed the spread of viral videos showing Ghanaians protesting and calling for Nigerians to be expelled.
Reacting to the protests, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on Tuesday condemned the stereotyping of Nigerians as criminals. Its Chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, described the sweeping accusations as unfair.
“Nigerians are not criminals. They are good ambassadors wherever they find themselves, while those bad ones should be fished out to face necessary sanctions,” Dabiri-Erewa said in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
She also urged both Nigerians and Ghanaians to avoid inciting language that could spark further unrest. Dabiri-Erewa clarified there was no verified evidence that Nigerian businesses or properties had been attacked.
“There is no evidence to that, and we must at all cost try to prevent any reprisal attacks,” she said.
Reassuring the Nigerian community in Ghana, she added, “We urge our citizens not to be provoked or resort to violence.”