The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Muhammad Babandede, has restated Federal Government’s commitment to building a stronger Nigeria-Ghana relationship.
NIS Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday James in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, quoted Babandede to have said this at the passing out parade of some officials of the Ghana Immigration Service in Accra.
Babandede expressed Nigeria’s commitment to a united and peaceful Nigeria-Ghana relationship that hinged on the principle of the foundation laid by the founding fathers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He said also that the bond was one that should be based on the long standing history and relationships between the two countries that had so many things in common including ancestral, cultural and marriage bonds which spanned generations.
“It is also in a bid to bring unity and brotherliness between the two countries against the backdrop of deportation of Nigerians from Ghana and vice versa.
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Ghana Immigration Comptroller-General, Mr Kwame Takyi described the move as a unifying recourse and image re-inventing for the two countries.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NIS and its Ghanaian counterpart, in March, had begun reconciliatory talks over the recent deportation of four Ghanaian nationals by Nigerian authority.
NAN also reports that the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) had authorised the deportation order of the four Ghanaian nationals over alleged violation of provisions of the Immigration Act and Regulations.
“This is in line with the powers vested on the Minister of Interior in Section 45(1) and (2) of the Immigration Act 2015″.
Recently, Nigeria had also protested mass deportation of at least 723 of its citizens between 2018 and February 2019.
The Nigerians were accused of illegal stay, cyber-crime, prostitution and other social vices.(NAN)