Three federal ministries to intervene in maltreatment of Nigerian traders in Ghana - Dabiri-Erewa

At least three federal ministries will be responding to the closure of shops belonging to Nigerians in Ghana, CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said on Monday.

The intervention comes after 753 Nigerian traders signed a document asking the federal government to help them return to Nigeria, Ms. Dabiri-Erewa said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

The ministries include Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Trade and Investment.

“The delegation is in Nigeria to tell the government that they want to return,” Ms. Dabiri-Erewa said. “And 753 actually signed the document that says they want to return to Nigeria.

“So with this request from them, what is going on now is that the three ministers involved will have been some engagement with them to see what actually should be the next thing.

“Now you’ve said you want to come to your country, so there should be no problem about that. They are Nigerians and we are proud of them and glad to return them home.

“But they must return to something meaningful. Like one of them said to me when they came to NIDCOM office, a lot of them have been there for over 25 years; so just uprooting yourself for not committing any crime – the only crime they’ve committed is that they are very good at their trade, at their jobs.”

The NIDCOM chief added that President Muhammadu Buhari is on top of the situation but was skeptical about the shops being opened before the Ghanaian elections are held in December.

“Let’s face it, the President of Ghana will not want to go against his own citizens,” she said. “And the majority of the Ghanaian traders have said ‘we don’t want them’. So after the elections, maybe they will now open. But they will close again. So they can’t be pawns in a game of chess in Ghana.”