Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs, has appealed for calm as some Ghanaians demand the deportation of Nigerians from their country.
The minister spoke on Wednesday during a joint press briefing in Ghana.
She said the viral videos had caused anxiety, necessitating her visit to the country for a firsthand assessment of the situation.
“Since I arrived, I haven’t seen people burning tyres in the streets or carrying placards everywhere calling for Nigerians to be deported,” she said.
“This shows that the Ghanaian government and the president have stepped up to the situation — I would say there’s no cause for alarm, they are handling the situation effectively, and we will continue engaging stakeholders.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also explained that they had met with some of the leaders and individuals involved in a bid to de-escalate tensions.
Samuel Ablakwa, Ghana’s foreign affairs minister, said the ministry is addressing the matter and has met with some leaders of the Nigerian community.
“The Ghanaian government will ensure that everyone in the country — citizens and non-citizens — is protected,” he said.
He added that while the country will protect everyone, people also need to be “law-abiding and avoid criminal activities and actions that could divide us”.
The crisis began over the weekend, when a group of Ghanaians staged a protest demanding that Nigerians be sent back to their home country, alleging that their behaviour does not align with Ghanaian values.
The protesters, who were mostly traders from the local retail market, carried placards and other items, while stating that their Nigerian counterparts were causing problems and were allegedly involved in criminal activities.
