House of Reps to drag Ghanaian govt. to ECOWAS court over inhuman treatment of Nigerians

THE House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Matters yesterday threatened to drag the Ghanaian government to the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, court for compelling Nigerian businessmen to have a minimum of $1 million each to qualify to do business in the country.

The House has also concluded plans to hold public hearing where the Ghanian Embassy in Nigeria  would explain the reason for subjecting Nigerians in Ghana to pay fees in US dollars instead of the country’s official currency of Cedi. It is also to query the embassy on why Nigerian citizens in Ghana should be mandated to pay $120 for non resident card and another huge sum to process resident permit. This was disclosed yesterday when a Nigerian resident in Ghana, Seidu Franklynn, from Etsako North Local Government Area of Edo State, who was allegedly duped by a Lebanese operating in Ghana, petitioned the Rita Orji-led Diaspora Matters Committee for intervention. Franklynn, who trades in charcoal processed at Iseyin, Oyo State, and exported through Apapa port to Dubai and Lebanon, lamented that a Lebanese buyer residing in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, had absconded since June, 2016, after being supplied with a 40ft container of charcoal valued at $13,650.00. He also reported that the Ghanian government was subjecting over two million Nigerians to untold hardship with hostile policy, despite the fact that it was an ECOWAS country. Chairman of the Committee, Orji, who represents Ajeromi/Ifelodun Federal Constituency of Lagos State, wondered why the Ghanian government, which is part of the ECOWAS, should subject the country to such hostile environment.