Ghanaians not killing us – Igbo chief to Nigerians back home

Nigerians living in Ghana are not being harassed and killed by Ghanaians as is being reported in the Nigerian media, His Majesty Eze Dr Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu has said.

The traditional leader has, thus, called on Nigerians to pay attention to the skewed stories published on social media about Nigerians living in Ghana.

He told Kwabena Prah Jnr (The Don) on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM Thursday, 27 June 2019 that: “We in Ghana want our brothers back home [Nigerian] not to believe everything the Nigerian media is putting out there regarding the way the media is carrying stories about us here.

“We are safe, we are alive and nobody is killing us, our blood is not [being shed] anywhere. We are still intact; we are alive, so, they shouldn’t see it the way social media is carrying the stories.”

His comments follow the recent impasse between Nigerian traders and members of the Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA).

Some Nigerian-owned shops were ransacked by raucous Ghanaian youths in the early hours of Wednesday, 19 June 2019.

The vandalism of the shops was to register their displeasure against a decision by the Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA) to reopen closed Nigerian retail shops.

This led to a near-clash between the Nigerians and the Ghanaians.

The confusion transpired ahead of a meeting by GUTA and other stakeholders on Wednesday to deliberate on the fate of Nigerian retailers at Suame and Tafo.

The Nigerians closed their shops temporarily on Friday, 14 June 2019 over what they described as attacks from their Ghanaian counterparts.

The Ghanaian traders argue that they are only enforcing the laws of Ghana which bar foreigners from engaging in the retail sub-sector, a preserve of Ghanaians.

The rampaging youth, who wore red bands and attire, also lit car tyres as part of their protest.

The Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, condemned the attacks.