Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Nigeria: High Comm'r protests demolition of Nigeria campaign billboards by Ghana authorities

The Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ademola Oluseyi Onafowokan has condemned the National Security and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) over the demolishing of Nigerian campaign billboards in Ghana.

The Ambassador told TV3 that he would not have protested the demolishing of the billboards that bore campaign messages of political parties in Ghana if indeed they contravened the laws of Ghana.

“If they contravened the laws of Ghana and they are demolished, yes I would understand because I would not support lawlessness and recklessness, but if they seek [sought] permission of AMA, and they approve of it, very well and good…,” he said.

The mounting of Nigerian political billboards on principal streets of Accra became the subject of discussion after a senior fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), Vladimir Antwi-Danso, described it as a security threat to Ghana.

The international relations expert argued that since the relationship between some former leaders in Ghana and Nigeria are not too warm, allowing the mounting of billboards could have dire consequences, not just on the international scene, but in local politics.

His call was supported by New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyepong, who complained of a ‘possible annexation’ of Ghana by Nigeria as a result of the giant billboards being erected by the political parties.

The MP called on the AMA and the National Security to act and bring down all Nigerian political billboards; but the Advertisers Association of Ghana disagreed.

AMA workers who claimed to be working under the instruction of the National Security over the weekend brought down these billboards.

This move did not go down well with the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, who insisted that Nigerians advertising in Ghana is not anything new as they do so in several countries just to court their citizenry.

“…even in Britain and America, Nigerians are advertising there supporting different political parties, they have supporters in Ghana and they have to be sensitized so they know about whom to vote for…,” he argued.

-adomonline.com

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