Penpushing media calls on Nigerian government to set up fact finding mission on demolished embassy in Ghana

Nigerians under the platform of Penpushing Media comprising professionals of diverse backgrounds, eminent traditional rulers and key political actors have called on the Nigerian government to urgently set up a fact finding mission to investigate the cause of the recent demolition of a portion of the building of the Nigerian Embassy in Ghana.

Penpushing reports that, the stakeholders made the call in a communiqué issued after extensive deliberations on the issue which had been in the news and consequently sparked a gale of commentaries and condemnation from a cross section of Nigerians and the diplomatic community who viewed the action as condemnable and should be handled seriously by the Nigerian government to avert a recurrence.

The communiqués endorsed by the Editorial Board of Penpushing condemned the demolition as a reckless act of aggression and considers it as a brazen infringement of international law that recognizes immunity and diplomatic cover of foreign embassies, noting that the action could undermine the long standing brotherly relationship between both countries if urgent steps were not taken.

Penpushing further reports that, the communiqué pointed out that in view of the potential threat that the action posed to the long standing diplomatic relations between the two countries, who shared the same heritage as both English speaking countries and earliest to gain political independence in Africa, there iis need for Nigerian government to be proactive on the matter.

The communiqué held that a thorough investigation will unravel the truth about the land, the concept of the demolished building which is seen by some as undiplomatic and the tacit support or otherwise of Accra having collected financial payment on the said land.

Penpushing media team advises the Federal Government to critically look at the procurement of the said land and the building to ensure that they conform to the extant land policies of the host country regarding such acquisition and building. This should serve as a guide and precedence for the country’s asset acquisition in all its diplomatic posts all over the world.

The communiqué stated that it is of the view that the federal government should utilize the opportunity of the current diplomatic conflict to reappraise relationship with Ghana, in the light of growing hostilities between both countries, in order to avert graver conflicts and consequential humiliation of Nigerians as witnessed in some other countries where they are domiciled.

Penpushing in the communiqué emphasized that,in the event of the resolution of the conflict,it  counsels that the Nigerian government must demand a public apology and an undertaking that such act of diplomatic aggression would not recur, with justice seen to have been served on all those culpable in  the shameful act.

The communiqué added that, for now, the Nigerian government and Nigerians must be circumspect and refrain from escalating the issue, in order to preclude a frosty relationship between both countries which could whittle down the level of socio-economic relationships between citizens and corporate entities of both countries.

Penpushing Media asks the government to work out in clear terms a frame work for its foreign policy to provide parameters for immediate intervention in future acts of humiliation, infringement or unfavourable actions against the country or its citizens