Penpushing Media, Stakeholders Call For Proper Investigation On Demolished Nigerian Embassy In Ghana
By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
The Federal Government of Nigeria have been called upon to as a matter of facts to urgently set up a fact finding mission to investigate the cause of the recent demolition of a portion of the building of the Nigerian Embassy in Ghana.
Nigerians under the platform of Penpushing Media comprising professionals of diverse backgrounds, eminent traditional rulers and key political actors made this called, noting that if urgent steps were not properly taken, such action could undermine the long standing brotherly relationship between both countries.
The stakeholders stated this in a communiqué issued after extensive deliberations on the issue which had been in the news and consequently sparked a gale of commentaries and condemnation from a cross section of Nigerians and the diplomatic community who viewed the action as condemnable and should be handled seriously by the Nigerian government to avert recurrence.
The communiqués endorsed by the Editorial Board of Penpushing Media condemned the demolition as a reckless act of aggression and considered it as a brazen infringement of international law that recognizes immunity and diplomatic cover of foreign embassies.
Furthermore, the communiqué addressed that in view of the potential threat the action posed to the long standing diplomatic relations between the two countries, who shared the same heritage as both English speaking countries and earliest to gain political independence in Africa, there is need for Nigerian government to be proactive on the matter.
The communiqué held that a thorough investigation will unravel the truth about the land, the concept of the demolished building which is seen by some as undiplomatic and the tacit support or otherwise of Accra having collected financial payment on the said land.
Penpushing Media team hereby advised the Federal Government to critically look at the procurement of the said land and the building to ensure that they conformed to the extant land policies of the host country regarding such acquisition and building.
This should serve as a guide and precedence for the country’s asset acquisition in all its diplomatic posts all over the world.
The communiqué stated that it is of the view that the federal government should utilize the opportunity of the current diplomatic conflict to reappraise relationship with Ghana, in the light of growing hostilities between both countries, in order to avert greater conflicts and consequential humiliation of Nigerians as witnessed in some other countries where they are domiciled.
Moreover, the communiqué emphasized that in the event of the resolution of the conflict, it counseled that the Nigerian government must demand a public apology and an undertaking that such act of diplomatic aggression would not recur, with justice seen to have been served on all those culpable in the shameful act.
The communiqué added that for now, the Nigerian government and Nigerians must be circumspect and refrained from escalating the issue, in order to preclude a frosty relationship between both countries which could whittle down the level of socio-economic relationships between citizens and corporate entities of both countries.
Penpushing Media asks the government to work out in clear terms a frame work for its foreign policy to provide parameters for immediate intervention in future acts of humiliation, infringement or unfavourable actions against the country or its citizens.
