FRESH DIPLOMATIC ROW!
GHANA forcefully evicts Nigeria High Commission from property in Accra…’We need Nigerian Govt help. We received an instruction for our High Commission to vacate its diplomatic property’, lament Nigeria High Commissioner to Ghana, Michael Olufemi Abikoye
* Letter reads that failure to comply within stipulated time will lead to depositing Nigeria Mission’s belongings at the nearest Accra police station
* Nigeria property broken into last month and being ransacked with the likelihood of being effectively occupied
* “Nigerian Government failed to renew the property following expiration thus the property reverted to the state in compliance with Article 258 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution”-Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* Nigerian government reacts: “Nigerian High Commission in Accra not evicted, we are trying to renew the lease on the property. The high commission is exploring the possibility of renewing the lease agreement with the host authorities”-Ferdinand Nwonye, spokesperson, Nigerian Foreign Affairs ministry
BY KWEKU KOFI/SPECIAL CRIME CORRESPONDENT,, reporting from ACCRA, GHANA
THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA HA FORCEFULLY EVICTED NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSION FROM THEIR PROPERTY LOCATED AT No.10 Barnes Road, Accra, Ghana. This is going by a letter sent to Nigerian High Commissioner office by their solicitors instructing a relocation of the property to Amaco Microfinance, even as Nigerian foreign affairs ministry has denied the ‘eviction’ news report.
The property has been reallocated since 26 August, 2019 by Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources with the consent of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
According to a statement by Nigeria High Commissioner to Ghana, Michael Olufemi Abikoye, dated 31st December, 2019, a terse letter dated 27th December, 2019, was received from Solicitors acting on behalf of Amaco Microfinance Company Limited, Accra, “giving instructions for the High Commission to vacate its diplomatic property at No.10 Barnes Road, Accra.
“The letter further stressed that; failure to comply within stipulated time will lead to depositing the Mission’s belongings at the nearest Accra police station.” Giving the latest update on the property, Abikoye said “as at 31st December, 2019, the property has been broken into by the company and is being ransacked with the likelihood of being effectively occupied.”
Abikoye therefore, enjoined the Federal Government of Nigeria to convey appropriate response to the Ghanaian leadership as regards the reallocation and request for vacation of diplomatic property.
The High Commissioner said the letter came following the continuous violation of the diplomatic property and a formal notification that it has been reallocated to the Microfinance.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that Nigerian Government failed to renew the property following expiration thus, “the property reverted to the state in compliance with Article 258 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.”
However, Abikoye expressed surprise that the reallocation was done “ without recourse to the High Commission” despite having requested severally for “a mutual resolution of the matter, affirming that Nigerian Government is examining the situation and that an appropriate directive was being awaited.”
In a related statement and reacting to this news report, the ministry of foreign affairs says the Nigerian high commission in Accra, Ghana has not been evicted. Ferdinand Nwonye, spokesperson of the ministry, said there is no “diplomatic row between Nigeria and the Republic of Ghana” as claimed by some reports.
Nwonye said though the lease of the property on No.10 Barnes Road, Accra, Ghana, has expired, the high commission is exploring the possibility of renewing the lease agreement with the host authorities.
“The attention of the ministry of foreign affairs has been drawn to news circulating in the social media that its property on No. 10 Barnes Road, Accra, Ghana has been ‘violated’ by the host authorities and that there is a diplomatic row between Nigeria and the Republic of Ghana. The ministry wishes to state categorically that the news reports are untrue,” he said.
“The ministry wishes to clarify that the said property under reference was in use by the federal ministry of finance, since 1957, on leasehold and was later bequeathed to the ministry of foreign affairs.
“The lease is said to have expired recently and the high commission has been exploring the possibility of renewing the lease agreement with the host authorities. It should be noted that the building is not physically occupied but the mission has some of its properties within the premises.
“It should further be reiterated that the property is not housing either the Residence of the high commissioner or the Chancery or staff quarters. However, talks are still on-going between the mission and appropriate host authorities. There is, therefore, no imminent diplomatic row with Ghana as being speculated by a section of the media. We wish to assure all and sundry that the ministry is on top of the situation.”
*Further reports from Daily Sun
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