Ghana, Nigeria Consider Exchange Of Prisoners

Ghana and Nigeria are considering a Nigerian proposal on a possible exchange of prisoners between the two countries. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni disclosed this in Accra yesterday, when the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Madueke, paid a courtesy call on him.

He neither elaborated on the issue nor explained its objective. The Minister did also not say how many prisoners are in each other’s country.

Chief Madueke who was accompanied by an eight-member delegation including the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said his visit was to promote bilateral co-operation especially in the area of trade.

The two sides discussed, behind closed doors, the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project, provision of oil at concessionary rate to Ghana and training of Ghana technicians in the oil industry. The meeting also reviewed Ghana-Nigeria relations.

Chief Madueke said Ghana and Nigeria had to set the pace for Africa’s integration agenda by promoting trade between them. He said the trade agreements between Ghana and Nigeria needed to go beyond paper agreements and must be translated into concrete actions to ensure easy movement of goods and services between the two countries.

That, he noted, would improve the economic conditions of citizens of the two nations. He pointed out that whatever affected Ghana had equal repercussions on Nigeria and therefore avenues should be created for citizens of the two countries to trade in other’s country without any hindrance. Chief Madueke commended Ghana for its democratic credentials, stressing the way and manner in which the transition of one government to another was handled, indicating that Ghana’s democracy had come to stay.

Alhaji Mumuni, on his part stressed the need to deepen bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of the two countries. He said Ghana and Nigeria had had long standing co-operation which “date back to history.” The two countries, he said, played major roles in establishing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Such fruitful relationship, the Minister said should be harnessed not only for the mutual benefit of the two countries but also for the sub-region at large.