In the main, Nigeria is blessed to be a land that has some of the most intelligent people, anywhere, on the surface of the planet Earth. They are an ambitious, hardworking, and, noted, for being astute in doing business - as well as excelling in many other fields of human endeavour. They are an asset to the nations they migrate to. Nigeria's GDP figures for 2019, were U.S.$446.543 billion (nominal, est.), and U.S.$1.215 trillion (PPP, est.) Source: World Bank.
Nigerians are invariably assets to the societies of the nations they migrate to. And, over the years, Ghana has had its fair share of such productive, law-abiding and disciplined Nigerians. The Ola Balm factory at the Accra surbub of Bubuashie, is a longstanding example. As we speak, today's generation of Nigerians are also contributing positively to Ghanaian society, in many areas of our national life.
Above all, for strategic reasons, it is vital that we maintain friendly relations with this longstanding friend, and ally, of ours, in the West African subregion. Figures from the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade, put the value of goods that Ghana imported from Nigeria, in 2019, at US$112.29 million.
If we are to continue maintaining our cordial relationship with Nigeria, it is vital, that the Ghanaian authorities, deal ruthlessly, with the criminal elements amongst the Nigerian community in Ghana. We must clamp down on their lawlessness, and utter disrespect for Ghanaian, and for our dear Mother Ghana, by ridding ourselves of them, swiftly. They are an evil-pestilence that we must send back to Nigeria, to be dealt with appropriately, there, by the relevant federal authorities.
The recent violent demonstration at the Buduburam Police Station, by some Nigerians protesting against the shooting to death, allegedly, by a police officer, of an apparently unhinged Nigerian, who is said to have waved a machete at police officers at Gomoa Buduburam Camp Liberia's Police Station, was outrageous in its mindless display of egregious-mob-violence. It is doubtless a harbinger of more to come, as Ghana's December presidential and parliamentary elections approach.
The time has now come for us to take a hardline attitude towards all illegal immigrants in our homeland Ghana. Towards that end, we must demand an immediate revision of the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) protocols, on the free movement of citizens, and ensure that the new measures we want to see put in place, to deal with cross-border-criminals, also apply to the free movement of Africans, across the entire continent, now that we are in the new era of continental free trade.
In an age of terrorism, and global pandemics, we must ensure that exit visas are required for all Africans wanting to travel outside their nations' borders, to settle in sister African states. To obtain such exit visas, biodata ought to be provided by all travellers, which must include: details of their health status; DNA samples and criminal records, if any; as well as tax filing details; fingerprints; digital iris and facial recognition data; educational background; and verifiable digital addresses.
To deal with the criminal elements, amongst the Nigerian community in Ghana (as well as those from other ECOWAS nations), compliance detachments from their Immigration Services, and the Criminal Investigations Departments, of their national police services, must be brought to Ghana, to register all Nigerian (and ECOWAS) citizens in our midst. We must start as soon as practicable, with the above-mentioned institutions of state, straight from the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Enough is enough. Haaba.
Sent from Samsung tablet.
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