Ghana has forcefully evicted the
Nigerian High Commission from its diplomatic property in Accra, the country’s
capital city.
The country has also reallocated
the property located at No.10 Barnes Road, Accra, to Amaco Microfinance since
26 August, 2019 by Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources with the
consent of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
This was contained in a statement
by the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Michael Olufemi Abikoye, dated 31st
December, 2019.
The statement added that a terse
letter dated 27th December, 2019, was received from Solicitors acting on behalf
of Amaco Microfinance Company Limited, Accra, “giving instructions for the High
Commission to vacate its diplomatic property at No.10 Barnes Road, Accra.
“The letter further stressed
that; failure to comply within stipulated time will lead to depositing the Mission’s
belongings at the nearest Accra police station.”
While giving the latest update on
the property, Abikoye said “as at 31st December, 2019, the property has been
broken into by the company and is being ransacked with the likelihood of being
effectively occupied.”
He, therefore, called on the
Federal Government of Nigeria to convey appropriate response to the Ghanaian
leadership as regards the reallocation and request for vacation of diplomatic
property.
The High Commissioner said the
letter came following the continuous violation of the diplomatic property and a
formal notification that it has been reallocated to the Microfinance.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs claims that Nigerian Government failed to renew the property following
expiration thus, “the property reverted to the state in compliance with Article
258 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.”
However, Abikoye expressed
surprise that the reallocation was done “ without recourse to the High
Commission” despite having requested severally for “a mutual resolution of the
matter, affirming that Nigerian Government is examining the situation and that
an appropriate directive was being awaited.”
