Ghana and Nigeria are two
countries which must guard against anything that can cause disharmony between
their citizens. The two have been stable mates under British colonialism; their
common allegiance to the Union Jack binding them even further. Indeed, there
are undocumented traces of trading activities between their peoples even before
the arrival of the trading companies and later the establishment of colonies or
British dominance.
The age-old harmony
between citizens of the two-sister countries is under threat – an unusual
influx of bad guys from Nigeria to Ghana being responsible for the unfortunate
scenario. Together with their local colleagues the bad guys are engaged in
unspeakable criminal activities too common to most Ghanaians to warrant a
repeat narration.
This commentary passes for
the umpteenth a suggestion that the negative headline attracting activities of
the wayward Nigerians bad guys are
attracting negative headlines has been around for a while. Some of their
activities are so daring that we get overwhelmed by their sheer bravado.
If the two governments are
restricted in what they can do in reaction, not so the citizens who have
started grumbling about what they see as an invasion of their country by criminal
elements from Nigeria.
In the comity of nations
where diplomacy rules, such subjects are difficult to handle especially when
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols allows for
free movement of citizens of member countries. This is a precursor to the
eventual harmonization of critical policies as it obtains in the European Union
(EU).
Even as we must endure the
situation, there are a few things we can do in reaction. Xenophobia should be
the last thing we should resort to; the good Nigerian citizens in the country
outnumber the bad ones and besides we should not go the way of South Africa and
others who went on this crude tangent.
We can, as a people,
report to the securities suspicious foreigners living in our midst. We have,
for instance, heard about how landlords must inspect the statuses of foreigners
who live in their property.
If landlords and
landladies would co-operate in this regard, we would be able to ensure that
only good foreigners and for that matter Nigerians live with us.
We are a hospitable nation
and in this regard we are unrivalled on the continent; we would not allow these
bad guys to compel us to change our colours.
Sampson Aghaoar and other
Nigerians who took part in the kidnapping of the two Canadians are but some of the
reasons we are unhappy with these bad elements in our midst.
In the aftermath of the
kidnap episode, we have also learnt about a robbery operation at Community 25,
Tema, and here too Nigerian elements were part of it. What shall we do? Fold
our arms and watch? No let us not take the law into our hands but rather expose
persons we think are criminals. One of the tests for criminals is an inability
to determine their sources of livelihood, among others.
There are many other
factors which we must look out for in deciding when to inform the police. As we
said in a previous commentary, a tenant whose room is a base for close to 10 persons
who are largely nocturnal must attract attention.
Long live Ghana, Nigerian
age-old bond but damn the criminal elements from the latter who must be smoked
out and deported.
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