₦airaland Forum

Chubhie:
Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Rashid Bawa has denied claims by former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan that Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo mocked Nigeria in a recent speech.

In a statement, Ambassador Bawa stated Mr. Akufo-Addo has always referred to Nigeria as “a country I describe as my second home in the world,” and will never use the West African country to make negative examples.

The reaction comes after Goodluck Jonathan said he is ashamed that Nigeria is now being used as a negative example in the international community by Mr. Akufo-Addo

This was in reference to comments made by Ghana’s President Akufo Addo, during a Keynote Address at the 2018 Oxford Africa Conference earlier this month.

During the speech, Mr. Akufo-Addo drew a comparison between 1980 and present-day Nigeria, addressing the need for a collective effort to address the continents challenges.

“For most of you in the audience today, it is probably before your time, but in the late 1970s up to the mid-1980s, as a result of the discovery of considerable petroleum deposits, Nigeria was booming. It was the place to be. We Ghanaians, who were going through very difficult times then, would arrive at Heathrow airport, and be herded into a cage to be subjected to the full third degree by Immigration, and we would look on as our Nigerian cousins would be waved through, with a ‘welcome sir’ and a ‘welcome madam,” Mr. Akufo-Addo said in his speech.

The comments have, however, been interpreted as disparaging by the former Head of State of the neighboring country.

Goodluck Jonathan speaking recently at the inauguration of a bridge in Ekiti State said he was embarrassed by Mr. Akufo-Addo’s comments. He added that the comments meant the current leaders of Nigeria have failed.

But Ambassador Bawa in his reaction said Goodluck Jonathan has deliberately misrepresented the comments of Mr. Akufo-Addo for political gains.

Below is the full statement by Ambassador Bawa
The attention of the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria, and, indeed, of the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been drawn to comments made by the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, to the effect that President Akufo-Addo has made disparaging remarks about Nigeria.

It is important to stress that the comments made by the former Nigerian President, at the inauguration of the first bridge built by Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State in Ado Ekiti, took the words of President Akufo-Addo completely out of context.

Indeed, in the speech delivered by President Akufo-Addo at the Oxford African Conference, one of the instances used by former President Goodluck Jonathan, these are the exact words of President Akufo-Addo:

‘For most of you in the audience today, it is probably before your time, but in the late 1970s up to the mid-1980s, as a result of the discovery of considerable petroleum deposits, Nigeria was booming. It was the place to be. We Ghanaians, who were going through very difficult times then, would arrive at Heathrow airport, and be herded into a cage to be subjected to the full third degree by Immigration, and we would look on as our Nigerian cousins would be waved through, with a ‘welcome sir’ and a ‘welcome madam’.

The newspaper headlines in this country were full of Nigerians leaving or forgetting bundles of money in taxis and telephone booths. Nigerians were the preferred tenants for those who had apartments to let. You could stop by any Thomas Cook shop on any High Street in this country and buy or sell Naira, the Nigerian currency, and you could do the same in New York, and I suspect in many other Western country cities.

I do not need to spell out today’s reality to anyone in this audience. I cite this just to make the point that the “the outside world” is well able to tell that there are separate sovereign nations on the African continent. But, when the news is not good, then Africa is treated as one entity.”

How, then, can anyone describe these words by President Akufo-Addo as intending to mock Nigeria?

Again, the other alleged remark that “Ghana is not Nigeria where cattle can roam about anyhow” has never been made by President Akufo-Addo. That is not his way of speaking.

President Akufo-Addo, in many of the speeches he has made in Nigeria and elsewhere, since becoming President of Ghana, has described Nigeria as “a country I describe as my second home in the world”, and will never use Nigeria to make negative examples, as the former President Goodluck Jonathan sought to portray.

President Akufo-Addo enjoys a very good relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari, as he has with many other Nigerian leaders. Ghana and Nigeria are like siblings, and it would be most inappropriate, because of politics, for anyone, regardless of his or her status in society, to try to sow seeds of discord amongst the leadership and peoples of our two countries.
……signed……
Amb. Rashid Bawa
Ghana’s High Commission

https://starrfmonline.com/2018/05/31/akufo-addo-never-mocked-nigeria-bawa-replies-goodluck-jonathan/

ehie:
Adding salt to injury. He is still mocking Nigeria by comparing us to what we where,its actually a tongue in cheek satire on how the mighty have fallen, now they put us in cages as against when we were waved through customs and immigration..lol..and brain dead BMCs be happy at these additional insults

MazuguZugudu1:
Reinforced? Please read it again.
It needs no interpretation.

Slowly...

fof1:
I THINK MOST OF U HERE ARE POORLY EDUCATED. ANOTHER COUNTRY'S PRESIDENT MADE A NEGATIVE OR CONTRARY COMPARISONS WITH UR COUNTRY & U ARE DEFENDING HIM HERE. FOOLS AND BLINDED HYPOCRITES. SEE D VALUELESS EDUCATION MISLEADING U ALL. GHANAIAN AMBASSADOR OR HIGH COMMISSIONER WAS ONLY PLAYING ON WORDS TO MODIFY HIS MASTER'S PRECISE VOMIT. HE INDEED DISPARAGINGLY OUTLINED NIGERIA.PERIOD.

Kumbola:
Greetings to all, I am in Australia and I watch his speech life then, Dan’uwa Akufo Ado president of Ghana. He said all those things Goodluck mentioned. Maybe in his mind he ain’t mocking Nija, but the phrase of his speech tells about what nija now becomes

Kumbola:
Greetings to all, I am in Australia and I watch his speech life then, Dan’uwa Akufo Ado president of Ghana. He said all those things Goodluck mentioned. Maybe in his mind he ain’t mocking Nija, but the phrase of his speech tells about what nija now becomes

seguno2:
Is that not what Buhari said to journalists in the UK?
Buhari is a monumental error of gargantuan proportions that must be corrected in 2019!
Let us get our PVCs ready.
Let’s go there!!!

oluoni:
The clueless buffoon is at it again he did the same to the king of Morocco when he was president e be like say ogogoro neva clear for hin eye.. No wonder morons hail him as their hero, their lord and saviour.. Smh

fof1:
I THINK MOST OF U HERE ARE POORLY EDUCATED. ANOTHER COUNTRY'S PRESIDENT MADE A NEGATIVE OR CONTRARY COMPARISONS WITH UR COUNTRY & U ARE DEFENDING HIM HERE. FOOLS AND BLINDED HYPOCRITES. SEE D VALUELESS EDUCATION MISLEADING U ALL. GHANAIAN AMBASSADOR OR HIGH COMMISSIONER WAS ONLY PLAYING ON WORDS TO MODIFY HIS MASTER'S PRECISE VOMIT. HE INDEED DISPARAGINGLY OUTLINED NIGERIA.PERIOD.

jaxxy:
It is a huge embarrassment that cows and herd walk past our government/state buildings in abuja we don't need bawa or anybody to tell us this. He said it bt offcourse can't admit that publicly for diplomatic reasons. Lol..Lets not deceive ourselves. I called out Gej and i will call out buhari also. Stop defending rubbish

TheUbermensch:

---

I take it you're intellectually inept. Now read this.



What lie did GEJ exactly tell?

You should learn to read. Don't be an illiterate fool like your President.

Chubhie:
How are the once giant of Africa fallen.

MazuguZugudu1:
You are CLEARLY one of the LAZY ones. Follow my lead.

NOW, put the statement of the CLUELESS One side by side with this one you quoted above here...

Are you there...?

Now, read each AGAIN and in context this time around...

You may take your time and READ it as many times as you like. I have time..m

Now read over your COMMENTS above...

Don't YOU feel a little embarrassed by your LEVEL of idiosyncrasy?

TheUbermensch:
I'm truly marveled at how extremely stupid you can be.

Your failure to comprehend little sentences overwhelm me.

The two statements are the same. Only rephrased.

Enice:
you have also inherited the lying genes most likely from your hero who embarassed us throughout his tenure. Nwobodo never stole in PDP then joined APC, Nwobodo stole in 1979 to 1983 and was a member of NPP and governor of Anambra state then before he was arrested by Buhari when he took over in 1983. Stop telling lies. It is not good for your health.

zoedew:
The point is that the world has become a global village given that the failings of Nigeria is bound to negatively affect the lot of Africa. By the way, Ghana, for now, is a lot better than Nigeria. Infrastructure. Education. Focused Leadership. Sense of Industry. Patriotism. So much more!

Mandeyy:
The failings of Nigeria cannot negatively affect the lot of Africa, cos Nigeria is still better than most African countries. Even Ghana you mentioned, is not completely better than Nigeria in all ramifications. I agree that our leaders are not getting it right, but that doesn't justify his use of Nigeria as an analogy. He got it wrong.

Chubhie:
How are the once giant of Africa fallen.

ToriBaze:
I've been following the guy for some time... He's always hating on Nigeria.

Ghanaians hate Nigeria. Whether u accept it or not, that's the plain truth. They hate us and always mock us. Stup*d Ghanaians... Stup*d Ghanaian President

Codes151:
After all my years in GH.,

Truth is, the hate us. Wanna b like us. Wanna b us. Hate to see us progress. Like to see us fail...

Codes151:
After all my years in GH.,

Truth is, the hate us. Wanna b like us. Wanna b us. Hate to see us progress. Like to see us fail...

wizmikeee:
I wanna be polite tonight I'll use sh*thole. way back in the 1980s when you kicked Ghanaians out of ur Nigeria. it over 30 years now you mock us till date. do you hear Ghanaian leader complaining about it. you guys dey cry for this small mocking we dey give you. looooooooooooolzzz