I am a Nigerian based in Ghana for over 16 years, personally ever since I arrived in Ghana their have always been that black box in the mind of most Ghanaians where they place Nigerians, there has always been a competing mentality on the subject of anything Ghana Nigeria, from Ghana jollof vs Nigeria jollof to Ghana music artist vs Nigerian artist, comparison which is fueled especially the Ghanaian media. But in recent months we have seen this brotherhood banter devolve into increasing darker routes to where the Ghanaian government, Banks, news media and traders union appear to be actively victimizing Nigerians in the country.
Before I am crucified by my Ghanaian brothers who will find a thousand reasons to insult, downplay or ignore what I am saying, please take the time to consider what I have to say, if I am just someone somewhere trying to create chaos let my words display my intention. The fact is that I am one of the thousands of Nigerians who are utterly tired of being victimized purely on the premises that I am Nigerian, understand that you do not make a conscious decision of where you are born so being victimized for this alone remains the most horrible thing that can happen to anyone.
NIGERIANS YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR PLIGHT
Facts remains that before the current administration in power, Nigerians in Ghana have never experienced this level of victimization and straightforward disregard/violation of our human rights, it is so bad that no matter what a Nigerian is experiencing in Ghana, there is fear amongst Nigerians of speaking up because if you do, you can get deported and lose all you have, a good example is the Nigeria Professor Augustine Nwagbara who was talking about the treatment of Nigerians in Ghana and compared Ghana Tertiary education to Nigerian tertiary educational systems, he also advise Nigerians to learn how to get their voices heard by making videos and documentaries about these issues. You will think no one should have any response for such a thing beyond people sharing their thoughts if the man was right or wrong.
Believe it or not Ghanaian publications like GHANAWEB said this about the man “Nigerian Professor hatches plot to ‘tear up’ Ghana” MYJOYONLINE also displays how this man was treated by Ghanaian authorities “CID invites Nigerian Prof over ‘inciting’ comments” Throughout this ordeal the Nigeria Professor remained silent, as he was paraded by Ghana news media as a man that is trying to incite violence and ‘tire up’ Ghana. This was what the same professor said when he was sent back to Nigeria, the Ghanaian Guardians did an in-depth interview with the Professor “Sacked Nigerian Professor Nwagbara breaks silence after leaving Ghana” the article was by Fiifi Tanko. Also on another article Peacefmonline “I Probably Would Have Been A Dead Man If Not For The Nigerian Ambassador – Nigerian Prof. Who Was Dismissed Speaks On His Ordeal In Ghana”
Nigerians in Ghana are a part of the society, Nigerians contribute economically, commercially and socially, it is evil that this same people whose impact on the Ghanaian society are so obvious should relegated to the background that they can not even voice out their discontent without fear of murder, assault or deportation.
My point for writing this article is not to incite violence or unrest but to let the Ghanaian society understand that Nigerians are humans too. There is a proverb that says it is unjust to keep beating a child and still insist that the child does not cry out. The Professor was lambasted for stating the obvious against the Ghanaian educational system but a Ghanaian citizen shared a similar view on the same issue and is yet to be lambasted.
‘SENYO HOSI‘ said the same things about the Ghanaian tertiary educational system though in a different rhetoric, but is yet to be invited by Ghanaian CID for questioning. I live in Ghana and truth is that Ghanaian and Nigerian educational system especially in the tertiary have a lot of amends to make so our graduates can be the best of their set. To speak this is not hatred or a plot to divide the government.
It is a fact that Nigerians face too much discrimination and victimization in Ghana, to say that we should invite Nigerian media to cover this happenings so we can bring some attention to it and have our voices heard isn’t a plot to destabilize the country, but a cry for help because the only narrative when it comes to ‘Nigerian in Ghana’ is the Ghanaian narrative, always only the Ghanaian narrative. As a Nigerian in Ghana, I dare not express my discontent on issues that affect me or I will be threatened, insulted, assaulted or deported. I have seen racist people in Africa, I have worked for one at a point, but I have never felt so victimized and it is sad that it is my own people who look like me, share similar cultures and come from the region, treat me and my people with the worst disdain.
NIGERIANS ARE RELEGATED TO SECOND CLASS CITIZENS IN GHANA AS LAWS ARE USUALLY DISREGARDED WHEN IT CONCERNS A NIGERIAN OR NIGERIANS.
As a Nigerian living in Ghana, since 2016 till now it is slowly beginning to dawn on most Nigerians living in Ghana that they may have no rights or laws that back them or their interests, due to the fact that laws can be flat out disregarded when it concerns Nigerians especially. Very recently we had the GUTA (Ghana Union of Traders Association) go to areas where Nigerian traders have their businesses and unlawfully closed the shops and businesses of all Nigerians in the area, these shops although the government have told them to reopen the shops have continued to leave these shops closed in complete disregard of the Ghanaian legal system. I believe that this is happening this way because Nigerians are involved, our lives, properties, business and affairs mean nothing to the authorities of this world whether Ghanaian or Nigerian or United Nations, Nigerians are basically free game to be victimized and maltreated everywhere.
GHANA MAKING THEIR DIPLOMATIC STANCE KNOWN
A diplomatic row is brewing between Nigeria and Ghana as the Nigeria High Commission is being forcefully evicted from its diplomatic property in Accra. According to the article on Ghanaweb the property was reallocated to a Ghanaian company sometime in August 2019 and a second notification was sent in December 27 2019, then the diplomatic residence was broken into my Ghanaians on the 2nd of January 2020, just 7 days after second notification. My question is this, would they dare do the same to an American diplomatic residence? I seriously doubt that, Nigerian have sank so low that this is happening to our diplomats in Ghana and the presidency and government remains silent as of the 4th of December 2020. Nigerians are in serious trouble in Ghana.
The blame of this affairs must go to the Nigerian President and government, I feel that the Ghanaians doing these things to Nigerians are using the closure of Nigeria’s border as an excuse to further their plans to further victimize Nigerians in their society, Nigeria is two countries away from Ghana, Nigeria also closed the border due to fears of people importing ammunition illegally, yet people like GUTA who are looking for any reason to justify their injustice on Nigerians use the border closure as a point to validate their unjust actions on Nigerians.
If you are a Nigerian reading this, I urge you to please consider putting yourself together and leaving the country now! I can foresee a future where our people in this country will be treated just the same way they are being treated in Libya, eventually killings and extortion will be the order of the day.
The former eviction of Nigerians from Ghana was under the same administration and circumstances, Nigeria was in a weakened state going through a coup when Abbrefa Kofi Busia implimented his Alien compliance order and today Nigeria under the administration of President Buhari is at the weakest it has ever been since it’s inception, is it a coincidence that Ghana is now making similar moves that see Nigerians in Ghana in a state of systematic victimization? I wonder.
It is starting little by little, it is time we close up shop and either go somewhere else or go home. I speak to you without sugarcoating matters, it is time to change location before things get out of hand, we have a dead government, no one will protect you so just move away from the country before it is too late, Ghana is now a hot zone for any Nigerian regardless of your moral standing or societal leverage.
DEAR GHANAIANS, NIGERIANS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM OF YOUR SOCIETY
I leave this message to all Ghanaians who will read this, it is my believe that many Ghanaians know a Nigerian who has had a positive influence in their life, it is my believe that Nigerians in Ghana have contributed positively to every business and development in Ghana, I am not speculating, if you will be honest to yourself you know a Nigerian who has been positively influential to you. Why is it that Ghana only parades the so few Nigerians who involve themselves in criminal behavior in Ghana, why is it that the good of Nigerians which I know I very in great numbers are never celebrated or paraded on the news for their good works yet the same people who contribute so much to your society get to be treated like dogs who deserve nothing they worked for.
The Chinese will sell to Ghanaians and make a lot of money in Ghana, they are involved in Galamze that claims the lives of too many Ghanaian boys, yet when they make this money they spend it exclusively amongst themselves and almost never take the Ghanaian along, yet these people are celebrated and treated like heroes.
When have you seen, a Chinese patronizing a Ghanaian business? When have you seen an Arab patronizing a Ghanaian business? They sell to you but they never spend it with you. Yet the Nigerian who works amongst you, makes the money amongst you and spends it probably with you gets to be treated like a human being devoid of rights. I am appealing to Ghanaians to read this without bias because of the narrative of ‘Nigerians in Ghana’ in the media is never from the Nigerian perspective, only the Ghanaian media hold the narrative of Nigerians in Ghana (Nigerians in Ghana do not have a voice). We too have our side of this story, the media has successfully painted us to be devils for about 3 consecutive years, sometimes sharing fake news and refusing to retract it (JOYFMONLINE) We are victims here.
Nigerians in Ghana have been accused of every kind of crime under the sun, from the introduction of crime to Ghana, to the killing of Ghanaians; cutting them open and putting gold in their dead bodies to be smuggled across the border. I have heard it all, trust me. This leads me to believe that Nigerians in Ghana have been transformed into blood thirsty monsters in the eyes of Ghanaians by the Ghanaian media, the character assassination of my people is utterly complete.
I’m not saying all Nigerians are saints but if we are 2 million Nigerians in Ghana, is it not strange that 2 million people are being persecuted for the crimes of less than 100 people? I leave this to you because today Nigerians are the best scapegoats, it is easy to sell the idea that Nigerians are responsible for all the crimes in Ghana but when you succeed in driving all Nigerians out, tomorrow when there is no more Nigerian in Ghana to blame for the crimes and corruption in the system, you will eventually turn towards each other to look for whom to blame next, the mentality of having a devil you can conveniently blame for all that is wrong in society is a mindset that requires the continued existence of the said devil, to make everyone feel that safety will come when this devil leaves or is destroyed. I am Nigerian and I am telling you, Nigerians are not your enemy, even if we all left today, Ghana will still have the same problems Ghana has now.
To say that Nigerians are the source and perpetrators of all the crimes in Ghanaian society is simply wishful thinking.
Be it as it may, I advise that all Nigerians leave Ghana as soon as they can, this mindset many Ghanaians have of Nigerians can only lead to something terrible for Nigerians in the country.
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