Ghana Parliament Caucus condemns demolition of Nigerian High Commission property, calls for investigation

Ghana’s parliamentary minority caucus has condemned the demolition of a property belonging to the Nigerian High Commission in Accra, Ghana.

The NDC parliamentarians, in a statement signed by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP, North Tongu), a Ranking Member and member of the Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the Minority in the Parliament is appaled and embarrassed by the demolition carried out under the cover of darkness.

While calling for a thorough investigation into the act, which it said could harm the cordial diplomatic relations between Ghana and Nigeria, it condemned a statement credited to the country’s foreign ministry saying the demolition was carried out by unknown persons, adding that it hopes it was not an attempt at a cover up.

The statement reads: “The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament is appalled and deeply embarrassed at the shocking demolishing 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 totally reckless act of aggression which violates international law and gravely undermines Ghana’s longstanding diplomatic relations with Nigeria.

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“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 demolishing 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 notice that the Minority shall 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. Nothing short of this will suffice.

“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 terribly unfortunate and avoidable impasse.”

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