President John Mahama of Ghana has stated that xenophobia has no place in the country, responding to recent protests directed at Nigerians.
Mahama spoke on Friday in a meeting with Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs, who conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s concerns over the protests against Nigerians in Ghana.
The Ghanaian president allayed Tinubu’s concerns and asked him not to lose sleep over the protests.
According to a statement issued by Magnus Eze, Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s special assistant on communication and new media, Mahama gave assurance on the safety and protection of the lives, properties, and businesses of Nigeria and Nigerians in Ghana.
He also cited his commitment to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols regarding the free movement of persons and goods in the region.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigerians back home were apprehensive over the situation, adding that her visit was to douse the tension.
The minister said the visit was also to facilitate the establishment of a permanent Nigeria-Ghana joint commission to address youth migration caused by unemployment.
“We are encouraging our youth to stay in Nigeria, and if it is necessary to migrate, they are to be great ambassadors,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
The minister had met with Samuel Ablakwa, her Ghanaian counterpart, on Thursday, who assured her that the government was addressing the situation.
