No mass deportations of Nigerians – Mahama

President John Mahama has assured Nigerian nationals living in Ghana, and the Government of Nigeria, that there will be no mass deportation of Nigerians from the country, dismissing recent tensions as a misunderstanding fuelled by misinformation. Speaking during a high-level meeting with a Nigerian delegation led by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Mahama traced the anxiety to the resurfacing of an old 2013 video, reports Modern Ghana. The video, which featured an ‘Igbo king’ speaking about acquiring land in Ghana for a supposed kingdom, went viral and sparked fears among the public. Mahama was quick to dismiss the claims associated with the video, calling the situation ‘a bit of a storm in a teacup’ and noting that Ghanaian law does not permit foreign traditional councils to be established. He reassured the delegation that Ghana has no plans to undertake mass expulsions of Nigerian nationals, reinforcing the long-standing relationship between the two nations.

‘We are members of Ecowas, and we have the Ecowas protocol that allows our citizens to travel freely between our countries,’ he said. ‘Ghana and Nigeria are siblings of the same parents, and so our destinies are joined together.’ The President drew attention to painful episodes in the past, such as the deportations of Ghanaians from Nigeria in the 1980s and Nigerians from Ghana in the 1960s, stressing that both nations had learned valuable lessons. While acknowledging that isolated criminal incidents involving foreign nationals had occurred, Mahama was clear that such cases would be handled according to the law. Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu, delivering a message on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, conveyed the ‘anxieties’ of the Nigerian people following the viral video. She said the situation had led to emergency discussions in Nigeria’s National Assembly and public fear, with some traditional leaders urging their kin to return from Ghana, according to Modern Ghana. She also referenced worries that Nigerian-owned shops in Ghana could be targeted, but thanked Mahama for offering strong assurances and calm leadership during what could have become a volatile episode.