By Audu Liberty Oseni

The Media Advocacy West Africa Foundation (MAWA Foundation) condemns the maltreatment of Nigerians in Ghana over the government demand they pay the sum of $1 million before they will be allowed to operate a business in the country.

MAWA Foundation deplores the attitude of the Ghanaian government by allowing its law enforcement agencies to assault Nigerians who reside and do business in their country and have documents that allow them to do so.

We call on the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) to immediately look into the activities of Ghana government and stop the grave human rights abuse against its citizens living and doing business in Ghana under the guise of implementing municipal law.

We call on all human rights organizations and activists across the West African States to rise against the maltreatment of Nigerians in Ghana and force the government to uphold the ECOWAS treaty on free trade and economic integration which are core cardinal values of the regional body.

We wish to remind Ghana that she an ECOWAS member state and the core vision of the regional body is the creation of a borderless region where the population has access to its abundant resources and can exploit the same through the creation of opportunities under a sustainable environment.

ECOWAS which Ghana signed up to is a creation of an integrated region where the population enjoys free movement, has access to efficient education and health systems, and engages in economic and commercial activities while living in dignity in an atmosphere of peace and security.  

ECOWAS is meant to be a region governed by the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance, and what is happening to Nigerians in Ghana is a complete negation of ECOWAS protocol.

We call on Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian president to immediately activate all diplomatic machinery within the ECOWAS body to stop Nigerians maltreatment in Ghana.

The demand by the Ghana government for Nigerians doing business in the country to pay $ 1 million is a complete negation of the ECOWAS treaty and that must stop.

In a situation Ghana becomes adamant and continues to carry out her draconian law against Nigerians and other ECOWAS Nationals, Nigeria should immediately withdraw its support from the regional body as a way of showing her disapproval over Ghana’s action against her citizens.  

  Audu Liberty Oseni, Ghana, MAWA Foundation, Nana Akufo-Addo, President Muhammadu Buhari