Nigeria @60: PAN urges immediate evacuation of stranded traders in Ghana

Ahead of Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary celebration, the Progressive Ambassadors of Nigeria (PAN) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari as a matter of national importance and urgency to consider the immediate evacuation of frustrated and stranded Nigerian traders in Ghana whose businesses were recently closed by the host government.

The group, in a statement signed by its National Director, Media, Emmanuel Imevbore Ohiomokhare, said this appeal became necessary following the rising cases of frustrations, biting hunger and impoverishment, sad feelings of grave abandonment and conflicting reports of attempted suicide by several victims, some of whom are being threatened by their landlords; having lost their means of livelihood.

PAN added the request is also reinforced by the conclusive fact that the issue of the Ghana Investment Promotion Act (865) under which premise of Nigerians in Ghana were, and are being subjected to several xenophobic and dehumanizing conditions; is by all evidence and manifest, just a cover to sack Nigerians in Ghana.

“As we speak, several families are now begging to feed with no form of palliatives or financial assistance; and sick children are unable to access medical treatment. It is no longer news that, as things stand today, from clear body language of the Ghanaian government , that Ghanaians no longer want Nigerians in their country”, the statement read.

PAN stressed that it was greatly disturbed with this development which has the potential for unlawful resort to either self-help or recourse to unpatriotic lifestyles capable of tarnishing the good image of Nigeria.

“PAN is disappointed that all diplomatic measures taken so far with respect to this matter have not yielded the desired results but we believe the immediate evacuation of our victims from Ghana remains the best and most appropriate nationalistic step to take at this moment while diplomatic engagements continue.

“We wish the president a happy 60th independence anniversary and beg him to timely intervene on this issue”.