By Williams Anuku, Abuja
Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday secured the permission of President Muhammadu Buhari to visit Ghana over recent crisis involving Nigerian traders and indigenes.
Shortly before leaving for Ghana, the Speaker told State House Correspondents that he was going for “Legislative Diplomacy”, over the closure of Nigerian shops in the west African country.
Gbajabiamila had last week said the closure of Nigerian shops in Ghana contravened Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) trade protocols and had called for a decisive solution between both countries.
This comes four days after the Nigerian Government warned that it would no longer tolerate the maltreatment of its citizens in Ghana.
In a statement issued on August 28 by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the Federal Government is deeply concerned by the incessant harassment and the progressive acts of hostility towards the country by Ghanaian authorities.
To Mohammed, the President Buhari administration is urgently considering a number of options, as part of measures to contain the situation.
He also revealed that the government “has been documenting the acts of hostility towards Nigeria and Nigerians by the Ghanaian authorities.”
But reacting on August 30, Ghana’s Information Minister, Endkojo Oppong Nkrumah, faulted claims made by the Nigerian government.
He however explained that President Nana Akufo-Addo will engage with President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve the matters amicably.
While reiterating the country’s commitment to maintaining what could be described as warm relations between the two countries, Nkrumah said the move is necessary to guard against straining the diplomatic ties.