The Nigerian Government says there is no ulterior motive in its decision to close the nation’s borders.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, stated this during a meeting with two Ghanaian ministers on Thursday in Abuja.
He told Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Integration, Shirley Botchwey, and the country’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, that no country was targeted in the border closure.
According to the minister, Nigeria, as a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), respects the rules of the regional body.
He gave assurance that free movement of persons and goods would continue, stressing that the border closure was targeted at criminal activities and not countries.
Onyeama also informed the Ghanaian ministers that the Nigerian government would ensure that issues raised by their country would be looked into and addressed as soon as possible.
Read the tweets by the minister below:
Geoffrey Onyeama✔@GeoffreyOnyeama
Met with H.E. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Integration and H.E. @Alankyerematen, Ghanaian Minister of Trade and Industry. I assured that after the meeting between the Ministers and relevant stakeholders, the challenge of ease of trade…
472:04 AM – Oct 17, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee Geoffrey Onyeama’s other Tweets
Geoffrey Onyeama✔@GeoffreyOnyeama · 11hReplying to @GeoffreyOnyeama
between #Ghana and Nigeria as a result of the Nigeria-#Benin border closure would be resolved quickly. No country is targeted, we are within #ECOWAS, we respect the #ECOWAS rules, free movement of persons and goods and that should continue; we’re targeting criminal activities and
Geoffrey Onyeama✔@GeoffreyOnyeama
…not countries. So, in addressing a particular country’s issues, it would not be a disadvantage to another country because for us, it is a measure to address a particular issue. #BorderClosure @NigeriaGov @DigiCommsNG @GhanaMFA @ecowas_cedeao82:04 AM – Oct 17, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacySee Geoffrey Onyeama’s other Tweets