Vandalisation of shops in K’si: Be circumspect in reportage – Nigerian group cautions media

The Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation in Ghana (NIDO) has added their voices to the call on Ghanaian journalists to be circumspect in their reportage of the recent vandalising of some shops belonging to some foreigners at   Suame Magazine in Kumasi by some Ghanaians.

They contended that if care was not taken in reporting the impasse, this was likely to mar the long standing relationship between Ghana and Nigeria.

In an interview yesterday with the Ghanaian Times the spokesperson of the group, Mr Kaycey Ogbonna,  said it was due to hype in the  reportage  that was fuelling the misconception in the minds of well meaning Ghanaians that Nigerians living in Ghana were all ‘bad people’

“The media has a role to play in changing the narrative of the misconception that is creating more tensions between both communities in the country because both countries are brotherly countries who share a deep relationship in a way that they are unseparable families”, he said.

Mr Ogbonna indicated that NIDO which represents the majority of Nigerian communities in the country distants themselves from any inflammatory statements that arouse division between their community and the locals.

He noted that the organisation would continue to engage with the security agencies to put perpetrators who tarnish the image of both countries to book.

“Every crime is a crime, it has no race or colour, and we want to treat criminals as criminals, and deal with them in accordance with the laws of the country so we would continue to engage the authorities to punish such people without fear or favour”.

According to him, Nigerians in the country were living in fear due to the rise in the cases of kidnappings where some Nigerian nationals are alleged to be the mastermind.

“Nigerians are also living in fear in the country because of the kidnappings, because thousands of Nigerians are living as Ghanaian citizens and have a huge stake in the economy so such occurances affect our livelihoods and our businesses”.

Mr Ogbonna pledged the organisation’s collaboration with the authorities to report any illegal Nigerian citizen who invades the country without registration.

He called for change in perception of Nigerians in the involvement of acts of criminality in the country without proper evidence.

BY DAVID NYANOR TAKYI