Nigeria's High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Ademola Oluseyi
Onafowokan has raised an alarm over the increasing number of Nigerians
serving jail terms in Ghana, describing the increasing number of
Nigerians in foreign prison all over the world as a National disgrace.
"Firstly, I agree with you that majority of them are Nigerians, but
should majority of them be Nigerians? We shouldn’t even be saying such
things with pride because it is a national disgrace. Every country we
go, they are filled with Nigerians, why? It is unfortunate. But I
believe if you are ready to take the risk, then you must be ready to
dance to the music.Now to the question of helping with infrastructure
and other things; Nigeria High Commission doesn’t have the kind of money
to build prisons. We are just here to do our core duties such as
issuing passports, visa, supporting Nigerians in distress and to keep
promoting the diplomatic relationship between the two brotherly nations"
Ambassador Onafowokan told Tribune
Ambassador Onafowokan says his personal efforts has helped in saving a
Nigerian who was once put on death roll and that no Nigerian has died in
any of the Ghanian prisons since he assumed office
"As regard the issue of the report, I want to believe it was written by
one of the prisoners and smuggled to someone to publish for them,
because the report is not the reality on ground. First of all, I will
like to assure you that no Nigerian has died in the prison. Secondly, I
want to assure you that I visited them; spoke to them and I always
sympathise with them. But the truth is, when you do illegal things in a
foreign land, you should know you will be jailed in that foreign land,
so why commit such a crime? Moreover, if they succeeded in making money
from such illicit transaction, they use the money to harass everyone on
the streets; illicit money source of which you will never know. I have
visited them and I make sure people visit them regularly. I usually send
my officials to take toiletries and other provisions to them. If you
check on them, they are almost more than the Ghanaians in Nsawam prison
in terms of population. They wouldn’t stop doing drugs and getting
involved in armed robbery cases. I remember a Nigerian was sentenced to
death, I personally spoke to the Chief Justice and I wrote a letter to
plead for his life, and he has not been executed, and I don’t think
he’ll be executed. About the long sentences they are giving them, which I
was told by the Chief Justice of Ghana Mrs Theodore Woods, they assured
me that they will look into it, but they told me those sentences are to
discourage other Nigerians from thinking Ghana is a safe haven for
criminals. It is logical to make a U-turn if you know that you are
likely to get a prison sentence of 50-130 years if caught committing
crime as a Nigerian or a foreigner. But that has not deter them, as
Nigerians fill up the Ghana prisons on a daily basis, and after being
caught, they want us (Nigeria High Commission) to come and get them out.
Also, any Nigerian prisoner released comeS to the Nigeria High
Commission (NHC), we usually give them GHC100 ($40) which will take them
to Lagos. Since I resumed as the High Commissioner, I have been doing
that religiously. Sometimes when they come, I will ask them to be
brought in front of me, and I ask them what led them into it, and
afterwards, I counsel them. The question remains that when you know
there is a reward for your crime if caught, why do it? On the question
of prisoners exchange, I have spoken with the parliamentary Committee on
Foreign Affairs and I mentioned the issue; I was made to understand
that Nigerian prisons are too full, and that the prisoner exchange
document has not been concluded yet. If you check countries around the
world, you will find Nigerian prisoners there, and it baffles me. I
think we need a national orientation because this is becoming a huge
embarrassment to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and this is as a
result of the fact that they want to get rich quick. It’s not a crime to
be rich, but it must be earned. The High Commission is doing its best
to ensure that Nigerian prisoners have a humanity touch. The High
Commission doesn’t have power to get them released; all we can do is to
keep pleading"he said.
Ambassador Onafowokan stated that it was wrong for the Ghanian
authorities to hand long jail term to foreigners as an instrument of
deterrent but that as an Ambassador, he has no power to change the
judicial system of a country. He argues that to serve long jail term is
better than beheading which is the law in some other countries for drug
traffickers.
"I agree that policy is not right. Like I told you, I sat down with
Chief Justice Theodore Woods, and he promised to work on it. I don’t
think I can force authorities in Ghana to change its justice system. So
also, Ghana High Commission in Nigeria cannot force Nigerian government
to change our justice system. In some countries, the law prescribed that
you will be beheaded if you commit certain crime, and there’s little or
nothing diplomacy can do to make them change their mind. I think to go
to prison for a long time is better than being beheaded. But the best
solution is to walk away from criminality" he said.
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