A minister in charge of political and consular services, at the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana, Sylvanus N. Dauda, in the company of a delegation from the High Commission have paid a familiarization visit to the Nigerian community at Aflao in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta region on Wednesday August 4.
The visit was also used to pay courtesy calls on sector security commanders/coordinators including the Police, Immigration, the GRA (Customs), the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) and the National Security Service to build rapport in otder to ensure the security of their compatriots living in that part of the country.
At a brief ceremony in the palace of the Eze Udo I of Aflao Kingdom, the traditional King of the Igbo people living and working in Aflao and the Volta region as a whole, the minister emphasized the need for all Nigerians living in Ghana to be law abiding and to respect the laws governing foreign nationals living in Ghana.
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He described Ghana and Nigeria as siamese twins who although separated by two francophone countries have had a long lasting relationship, adding that citizens from both countries find either countries conducive to do business and to thrive because of the common language that both countries share.
Minister Dauda noted some infractions that have happened between the two countries in the past but was quick to pray for a continuous peaceful co-existence calling on all Nigerians to engage in only legitimate businesses and trades in order to clear the perception in the minds of many that Nigerians were involved in crime and other illegitimate stuff.
Minister Dauda also praised His royal Highness the Eze Udo I of Aflao Kingdom for the immense role he has played and continues to play in ensuring the safety and security of not only Igbos but all Nigerians in Ghana. He prayed for God’s guidance and protection for him and his family.
On his part, the king was full of joy for the honour done him and his subjects describing the visit as timely. Eze Udo I used the opportunity to appeal to the commission to fast track the process for the acquisition of Nigeria passports and consular ID cards for Nigerian citizens who are yet to acquire those documents and also appealed to the Ghanaian authorities to make the process for the acquisition of resident permits easy for Nigerians to obtain such important documents in other to prevent the unnecessary harassment and inhumane treatment sometimes meted out to Nigerians and for that matter other foreign nationals by the Ghanaian Immigration officials.
The traditional leader further added his voice to the call by the minister for all Nigerians to be law abiding and engage only in legitimate businesses so as not to be misconstrued as criminals, adding that “the gates of my palace are always opened for any Nigerian” who for one reason or the other may be in need of assistance at any given point in time.
By Nelson Ayivor