Ghana is moving fast to stem the tide of hostilities with Nigeria by launching a quick investigation into the attack of the country’s High Commission in Accra, with the aim of bringing culprits to book as demanded by Abuja, on Sunday.
The high commission building
Coming on a day, President Nana Akufo-Addo, is expected to make a national broadcast, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Intervention, in a statement on Sunday, revealed the intervention of Accra on the issue, which is currently raising a lot of dust.
Commenting on the attack, said to have been carried out over land issues, the Ghanaian authorities assured Nigeria that the culprits would not only be punished, but adequate security was now being provided to stave off further incidents, adding that the situation was now under control.
The statement read: “It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration that unidentified individuals had allegedly breached the premises of the Nigeria High Commission in Accra and demolished its property under construction around 10:30pm on Friday, 19th June, 2020.
“The Ministry views, with concern, this development which is a breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR. 1961).
“Accordingly, investigations are ongoing to unravel the facts of the matter and bring the perpetrators to book. Meanwhile, the Government of Ghana has beefed up security at the said facility and the situation is under control.
“Whilst expressing regrets over the incident, the Ministry wishes to reassure the Diplomatic community in Ghana and the Nigeria High Commission in particular, that Ghana remains a Iaw-abiding country that upholds the principle of the rule of law, where due process is followed at all times. The Government will, therefore, not relent on its primary obligation to guarantee the safety of Members of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana.”
Geoffery Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, had indicated the position of the Federal Government on the development, saying nothing short of immediate identification and punishment of the culprits would assuage Nigeria, adding that the two countries were already in talks over the matter.
He wrote through his Twitter handle: “We strongly condemn two outrageous criminal attacks in Accra, #Ghana, on a residential building in our diplomatic premises by unknown persons in which a bulldozer was used to demolish the building,” the tweet read.
“We are engaging the Ghanaian Government and demand urgent action to find the perpetrators and provide adequate protection for Nigerians and their property in Ghana.”
