Nigeria-Ghana Rift To End Soon - Gbajabiamila

Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila has said that he is optimistic that Nigeria and Ghana will soon reach a mutually acceptable resolution to its current rift.

Gbajabiamila who spoke after meeting with Ghanaian’s Speaker Mike Oquaye thanked his counterpart for the warm welcome he received hoping that his visit will end the dispute between the two countries.

Also, during his visit, Gbajabiamila met with the leadership of Nigerian traders in Ghana who narrated all their ordeal in the hands of Ghanaian government officials.

Nigeria and Ghana are on the part of a smooth relationship again as speakers met on Wednesday in Accra on the frosty relationship between the two countries.

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Ghajabiamila is on a two-day trip with the Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Buba Yusuf; Chairman, Committee on Media, Benjamin Kalu; member of ECOWAS Parliament, Bayo Balogun; Ikenna Elezieanya, Ephraim Nwuzi, and Balarabe Shehu.

A statement by Special Adviser to the Gbajabiamila, quoted the Ghanaian speaker to have said“I trust in the next two days we will bring a beautiful reunion to our two nations.”

Gbajabiamila who likened the relationship between Nigeria and Ghana as that of a Siamese twin however pointed out that national interest on both sides might cause misunderstanding.

Further noting that it is how the issue is being resolved that matters, Gbajabiamlia said:

“Nigeria and Ghana are more like Siamese twins. Brothers will always have squabbles, healthy ones; national interest on both sides will always come to play but it’s not the misunderstanding that matters, it’s how you resolve it that counts.

“In Africa, you cannot talk about Nigeria without talking about Ghana and you cannot talk about Ghana without talking about Nigeria. It has therefore become incumbent on us as parliamentarians to bring to bear this concept of legislative diplomacy for fruitful results.

“The weight and burden of our international relationship rest actually on parliamentary shoulders and it is my hope that we will, in two days, reach some resolutions that will settle both countries.”

After meeting the Ghanian speaker, the Speaker and his delegation visited the Nigerian High Commission where they met with leaders of the Nigerian Union of Traders and selected stakeholders.

Also speaking with the Gbajabiamila led delegate, the leader of the Nigerian traders, Chief Chukwuemeka Nnaji, explained that they had since 2007 been subjected to a lot of hardship by the Ghanaian authorities.

According to Nnaji, Nigerians were always the target of harsh treatment in Ghana despite complying with laid down laws.

He added that even when their trades are registered with appropriate agencies and their taxes paid as and when due, the Ghanaian authorities still ill-treated them.

He further revealed that some  Nigerian operators of about 250 shops locked up by the Ghanian authorities had died as a result of losses and hardship.