Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Ghanian government has revealed that no land certificate was ever issued to Nigeria in Accra in respect of the residence of the High Commission at the centre of demolition controversy.
It stated this after an investigation comprising officials of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Lands Commission, National Security Secretariat and Ghana Police Service constituted to investigate the incident and make appropriate recommendations.
Tempers rose between Nigeria and Ghana at the weekend when a block of apartments within the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana was demolished.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, in a statement issued in Accra and made available to Daily Sun in Abuja by spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, said a search by the Lands Commission did not show that any proper documentation had been obtained in respect of the property.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has expressed satisfaction over moves by the Government of Ghana to address issues concerning the demolition of the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Accra.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, told newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, that the government had taken note of efforts by President Nana Akufo-Addo and Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ayokor Botchwey to resolve the crisis.
Onyeama, however, expressed concerns over reports that perpetrators of the act were unhindered and had a lot of time to pull down the structure despite calls to Ghanaian authorities by the Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian High Commission.
He said further reports indicated that security operatives who were on ground during the demolition seemed to have been supportive of those carrying out the violation on Nigeria’s sovereign territory in Ghana.
He, however, noted that the perpetrators had been arrested and arraigned in court and that the Ghanaian government promised to rectify all pending paper works that led to the misinformation of the Lands Commission in Ghana.
“The Government of Ghana has assumed total responsibility, and with the apology have made it clear that they will be responsible for restitution – rebuilding the building to the state that it was when it was destroyed. So, this is to say that the matter has been satisfactorily resolved and that at very highest level as I mentioned, President Muhammadu Buhari personally engaged in this process.
“The President of Ghana has apologised, those who carried out the action have been arrested and charged to court and the Ghana government has agreed to rebuild the property. So, we would like to put the matter to rest and to acknowledge the very speedy reaction of the Ghanaian government and to say that we will now continue to further strengthen relations between our two countries, take lessons learnt from what has happened and move ahead without recriminations,” Onyeama said.