The Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described as unfair and dangerous the generalisation of Nigerians in Ghana as criminals.
Dabiri-Erewa was responding to a viral clip of Ghanaians demonstrating for the mass deportation of Nigerians.
The protesters accused the Nigerians living in Ghana of indulging in criminalities such as kidnapping, robbery and other violent crimes.
Dabiri-Erewa said Nigerians are not criminals. She noted that they are usually law-abiding and enterprising.
She noted that, just as with other people groups, there are bad eggs in their midst, adding that it is the bad eggs that should be identified and punished accordingly.
The NIDCOM boss said it was wrong to use the bad behaviour of a tiny percentage of people to judge the rest.
She urged Nigerians in Ghana and their hosts to avoid violence, assuring that any grievance would be ironed out through diplomatic channels.
Dabiri-Erewa cautioned those heightening the ethnic tension by spreading falsehood. She said it was not true that Nigerian shops were destroyed or looted.
She called on well-meaning Nigerians and Ghanaians to shun rumour-mongering that could exacerbate the tension.
Dabiri-Erewa commended the Ghanaian and Nigerian High Commissions for working closely to resolve the crisis.
She also confirmed that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs was working with his counterpart in Ghana to iron out the issues.
