Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has debunked claims that
the country’s high commission in Ghana has been evicted.
It was reported that the ownership of the commission’s
property at No.10 Barnes Road in Accra, Ghana, has been transferred to Amaco Microfinance
by Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources with the consent of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
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Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that the Nigerian
Government failed to renew the property following expiration thus, “the
property reverted to the state in compliance with Article 258 of Ghana’s 1992
Constitution.”
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement by its
spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, said it was not true that the high commission
had been evicted.
He said, “The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
has been drawn to news circulating on
the social media that its property at No 10 Bernes Road, Accra, Ghana, has been
‘evicted’ by the host authorities and that there is diplomatic row between
Nigeria and the Republic of Ghana. The Ministry wishes to state that the news
reports are untrue.
“The ministry wishes
to clarify that the said property under reference was in use by the Federal
Ministry of Finance since 1957, on leasehold and was later bequeathed on the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The lease is said to have expired recently and the high
commission has been exploring the possibility of renewing the lease agreement
with the host authorities. It should be noted that the building is not
physically occupied but the mission has some of its properties within the
premises.
“It should further be reiterated that the property is not
housing either the residency of the high commissioner or the chancery of staff
quarters.
“However, talks are ongoing between the mission and
appropriate host authorities.
“There is therefore no imminent diplomatic row with
Ghana as being speculated by a section of the media.”