A Facebook post claims that Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo, has vowed to ensure that Nigeria will have no high commission in Ghana while he remains the leader of the West African country.
The poorly written post quotes Akufo-Addo as saying “we are tired of Nigerians living in Ghana because the name Nigeria means darkness.”
It further quotes the Ghanaian president as saying, "Nigeria government are the most corrupt people. I've seen which is why we have decided that there will be no commission in Accra. The people (Nigerians) are only strong on Facebook and Twitter but too weak to hold their government to account! They are running away from Nigeria into Ghana Because we've had a better government than them.”
According to the post, Akufo-Addo professed his support for the independence of Eastern Nigeria and also made reference to the demolition of the residential quarters of Nigeria’s high commission in Accra, the Ghanaian capital.
No credible news organisation in Ghana or Nigeria reported the comments attributed to the president and Africa Check also found no evidence of such on the state’s official social media handles or Akufo-Addo’s.
The message in that post is fake, Celestine Bassey, a professor of international relations and strategic studies at the University of Calabar, told Africa Check.
“The Ghanaian president could not have made such a statement considering that the country apologised after the residential quarters of the Nigeria high commission in the country was demolished,” Bassey said.
The Ghanaian president indeed apologised for the demolition of a residential building that was being put up in the compound of the Nigeria High Commission in Accra on 19 June by a businessman who claims the land belongs to him.
Nigeria’s foreign minister also exonerated the Ghanaian government, saying the demolition was done by a non-state actor and without the knowledge of the government.
Had the Ghanaian president made the comments attributed to him in the Facebook post, it would have resulted in a diplomatic row that would need to be resolved by the ECOWAS parliament, Bassey said. - Allwell Okpi
The poorly written post quotes Akufo-Addo as saying “we are tired of Nigerians living in Ghana because the name Nigeria means darkness.”
It further quotes the Ghanaian president as saying, "Nigeria government are the most corrupt people. I've seen which is why we have decided that there will be no commission in Accra. The people (Nigerians) are only strong on Facebook and Twitter but too weak to hold their government to account! They are running away from Nigeria into Ghana Because we've had a better government than them.”
According to the post, Akufo-Addo professed his support for the independence of Eastern Nigeria and also made reference to the demolition of the residential quarters of Nigeria’s high commission in Accra, the Ghanaian capital.
‘It’s fake news’
No credible news organisation in Ghana or Nigeria reported the comments attributed to the president and Africa Check also found no evidence of such on the state’s official social media handles or Akufo-Addo’s.
The message in that post is fake, Celestine Bassey, a professor of international relations and strategic studies at the University of Calabar, told Africa Check.
“The Ghanaian president could not have made such a statement considering that the country apologised after the residential quarters of the Nigeria high commission in the country was demolished,” Bassey said.
The Ghanaian president indeed apologised for the demolition of a residential building that was being put up in the compound of the Nigeria High Commission in Accra on 19 June by a businessman who claims the land belongs to him.
Nigeria’s foreign minister also exonerated the Ghanaian government, saying the demolition was done by a non-state actor and without the knowledge of the government.
Had the Ghanaian president made the comments attributed to him in the Facebook post, it would have resulted in a diplomatic row that would need to be resolved by the ECOWAS parliament, Bassey said. - Allwell Okpi
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