Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government, has said the demolition of the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Accra, Ghana, was carried out purportedly on the instruction of the Ghana Urban Development Agency.
The government also said the action was a clear violation of the extant provisions of the 1963 Vienna Convention on inviolability of diplomatic premises.
The Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, in a statement issued in Abuja, said the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana has submitted a strongly worded letter of protest to the Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to register its displeasure over the development.
“The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been drawn by the Nigeria High Commission, Accra, Ghana, to the fact that some unidentified persons purportedly on the instruction of the Ghana Urban Development Agency, willfully carried out the demolition of a building belonging to the Nigeria High Commission and located within the premises of the High Commissioner’s Residence in Accra, without prior notification.
“This action is in clear violation of the extant provisions of the 1963 Vienna Convention on inviolability of diplomatic premises.
“Accordingly, the Nigeria High Commission has submitted a strongly worded letter of protest to the host Foreign Ministry, unequivocally registering the displeasure of the Nigerian Government and calling on the competent Ghanaian authorities to take urgent steps to apprehend the perpetrators and provide appropriate security for the High Commission’s premises and staff,” Nwonye said.
Nwonye also said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was engaging robustly with the Ghanaian Government with a view to seeking immediate redress.
