The Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana, Olufemi Michael Abikoye, has expressed surprise at the forceful eviction from its diplomatic property in Accra.
The property located at No.10 Barnes Road, Accra, has been reallocated to Amaco Microfinance since August 26, 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 Mr. 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, High Commissioner 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.”
The High Commissioner said the letter was coming 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 the Nigerian Government failed to renew the lease of the property, following the expiration and “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 the Nigerian Government is examining the situation and that an appropriate directive was being awaited.”
He, therefore, enjoined the Federal Government to convey appropriate response to the Ghanaian leadership as regards the reallocation and request for vacation of diplomatic property.
Some social commentators have condemned the action of the Ghanaian government which has the potential of brewing diplomatic row between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government says Nigeria’s High Commission was not evicted in Ghana, but only suffered an accommodation problem.
The spokesperson of the foreign affairs ministry, Mr. Ferdinand Nwonye, says the matter will be resolved in due time.
Nigeria’s Daily Sun newspaper reports on Thursday that contrary to rumours making the rounds, the ministry of foreign affairs has clarified that Ghana did not send the country’s envoy packing.
The report said the clarification was made by the ministry’s spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, who said the envoy was neither sent out of the Chancery or High Commission.
Nwonye said the property located on 10, Barnes Road, Accra, Ghana, was one of the official quarters of the High Commission.
What happened, he noted, was that the property had a lease agreement signed between the Nigerian Ministry of Finance and Ghana.
The lease expired in August 2019 and the Ghanaian government, which ought to have informed Nigeria of the expiration of the lease, decided instead to lay claim to the property.
“We are working on it; there is no cause for alarm. It is not our chancery, not our residence, it is just one of our official quarters and has been unoccupied for some time. Though we have some items inside it, no one is occupying it,” Nwonye said.
DAP/GIK/APA