90% of Ghanaians living in Nigeria are aliens – Igbo king

The king of the Igbo community in Ghana, Eze Dr Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, has said 90 per cent of Ghanaians living in Nigeria do not have the necessary documents but most Nigerians resident in Ghana are not aliens.

The traditional leader said Nigeria may not be enforcing its laws on residential permits for foreigners, hence a lot of undocumented Ghanaians residing there.

He said unlike Nigeria, it is wrong for any Ghanaian to suggest that Nigerians living in Ghana do not have the right documentation.

Speaking on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM on Monday, 10 May 2021, the king told show host Kwame Appiah Kubi: “The issue of immigration is totally wrong”, adding: “It is 100 per cent wrong to say Nigerians come into Ghana with documentation”.

“A Nigerian will have an ECOWAS passport, ECOWAS ID card that can bring him into the country for 90 days and after that, you have to go and return again, but if you want to live in that ECOWAS country, you have to have your working permit to live there or residence permit to live there”.

“So, if Nigerians are coming here without documentation, it is wrong; they must obtain their documentation…” he said.

Dr Ihenetu noted: “I don’t want to have a comparison of the two nations but I’m telling you that 90 per cent of Ghanaians living in Nigeria have no documents”.

“I am telling you because I am the patron of the Ghana Community Association in Igbo state (Nigeria) and many have been living there for years; only God knows how long”.

“Many of them are working in our ministries and all that and in Nigeria we welcome them”, he said.

He said: “Nigeria might not enforce their law; that is not the concern of Ghana, but Ghana is enforcing their laws and I like that because every country without laws is an empty country”.

“So, what I’m saying is: if Nigerians are coming here without documents that is wrong…” he noted.

Dr Ihenetu advised Nigerians living in Ghana to register with the Nigerian Embassy so that the embassy may come to their aid when they are in any form of distress while living in Ghana.

He also supported the idea that any Nigerian that flouts the laws of Ghana be dealt with according to the laws of the country.