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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