"Keep Calm", Ghanaian Lawmaker Tells Nigerians Over Demolition Of Embassy

The minority in the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana has reacted to the demolition of a building within the premises of the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana.

The lawmakers warned against reprisal, saying doing so would worsen the situation.

Armed men stormed the Nigerian High Commissioner's residence in Accra on Friday night with bulldozers and demolished a building on the property.

In the statement signed by the ranking Member of Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the minority condemned the action and noted that it violated international law and gravely undermines Ghana’s longstanding diplomatic relations with Nigeria.

The statement partly read, “The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament is appalled and deeply embarrassed at the shocking demolition of properties belonging to the Nigerian High Commission in Accra under the cover of darkness on the 19th of June 2020.

“The Minority forcefully condemns, in no uncertain terms, this reckless act of aggression which violates international law and gravely undermines Ghana’s longstanding diplomatic relations with Nigeria.

“The Minority further wishes to state that we are disgusted at a statement purportedly issued by Ghana’s Foreign Ministry dated the 20th of June, 2020 which states that the perpetrators are unidentified and unknown to authorities when by all eyewitness accounts, the demolition was carried out under the full protection of state security. We hope the Foreign Ministry is not laying the foundation for a grand cover-up. We hereby serve a notice that the Minority should resist any such attempt.

“The Government of Ghana must not underestimate the implications of this reckless act of unprovoked aggression not only for Ghana-Nigeria relations but also the negative reverberations in larger diplomatic quarters.

“The Minority, therefore, demands an independent public enquiry to thoroughly unearth the facts with the view of bringing the perpetrators to justice.

“In the meantime, while expressing our solidarity and sympathies with our Nigerian neighbours, the NDC Minority in Parliament wishes to urge calm, particularly amongst the citizenry of both nations as we step up efforts in demanding justice. There must be no reprisal action which would only exacerbate the already volatile situation.

“May we be guided by the ancestral bond of friendship between our two great nations as we navigate the processes leading to an amicable resolution of this unfortunate and avoidable impasse.”