
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Tuesday, has responded to a viral video circulating on social media showing a group of Ghanaians protesting and demanding the deportation of Nigerians from Ghana.
According to the viral video, the protestors accused some Nigerians of engaging in criminal activities and claimed their behaviour was incompatible with Ghanaian societal values.
In a statement, NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, condemned the generalisation of Nigerians as criminals, describing it as unfair and dangerous.
She stressed that while a few individuals may be involved in wrongdoing, the majority of Nigerians living in Ghana are law-abiding and contribute positively to the society.
She said, “Nigerians are not criminals. They are good ambassadors wherever they find themselves while those bad ones should be fish out and face the necessary sanctions.
“Ghana and Nigeria are like siamese twins. They are brothers and such in the spirit of ECOWAS and regional integration should continue to live in peace like brothers.”
The NIDCOM Boss thus appealed for calm and urged Nigerians living in Ghana not to be provoked or go into violence with anyone as the issue is being handled at the diplomatic level.
She advised anyone using inciteful words to desist henceforth both from Nigerians and Ghanaians as that is capable of escalating the matter.
Dabiri-Erewa also advised Nigerians to disregard the videos circulating that Nigerians’ shops and properties are destroyed by Ghanaians.
She said, “There is no evidence to that and we must at all cost prevent any reprisal attacks”.
She praised Ghanaian and Nigeria High Commissioners for their efforts to control the situation, adding that the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, has also been in touch with Ghanaian authorities and had taken some proactive measures.