Ghana and Nigeria are two countries which must guard against anything that can cause disharmony between their citizens. The two have been stable mates under British colonialism; their common allegiance to the Union Jack binding them even further. Indeed, there are undocumented traces of trading activities between their peoples even before the arrival of the trading companies and later the establishment of colonies or British dominance.
The age-old harmony between citizens of the two-sister countries is under threat – an unusual influx of bad guys from Nigeria to Ghana being responsible for the unfortunate scenario. Together with their local colleagues the bad guys are engaged in unspeakable criminal activities too common to most Ghanaians to warrant a repeat narration.
This commentary passes for the umpteenth a suggestion that the negative headline attracting activities of the wayward Nigerians bad guys are attracting negative headlines has been around for a while. Some of their activities are so daring that we get overwhelmed by their sheer bravado.
If the two governments are restricted in what they can do in reaction, not so the citizens who have started grumbling about what they see as an invasion of their country by criminal elements from Nigeria.
In the comity of nations where diplomacy rules, such subjects are difficult to handle especially when the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols allows for free movement of citizens of member countries. This is a precursor to the eventual harmonization of critical policies as it obtains in the European Union (EU).
Even as we must endure the situation, there are a few things we can do in reaction. Xenophobia should be the last thing we should resort to; the good Nigerian citizens in the country outnumber the bad ones and besides we should not go the way of South Africa and others who went on this crude tangent.
We can, as a people, report to the securities suspicious foreigners living in our midst. We have, for instance, heard about how landlords must inspect the statuses of foreigners who live in their property.
If landlords and landladies would co-operate in this regard, we would be able to ensure that only good foreigners and for that matter Nigerians live with us.
We are a hospitable nation and in this regard we are unrivalled on the continent; we would not allow these bad guys to compel us to change our colours.
Sampson Aghaoar and other Nigerians who took part in the kidnapping of the two Canadians are but some of the reasons we are unhappy with these bad elements in our midst.
In the aftermath of the kidnap episode, we have also learnt about a robbery operation at Community 25, Tema, and here too Nigerian elements were part of it. What shall we do? Fold our arms and watch? No let us not take the law into our hands but rather expose persons we think are criminals. One of the tests for criminals is an inability to determine their sources of livelihood, among others.
There are many other factors which we must look out for in deciding when to inform the police. As we said in a previous commentary, a tenant whose room is a base for close to 10 persons who are largely nocturnal must attract attention.
Long live Ghana, Nigerian age-old bond but damn the criminal elements from the latter who must be smoked out and deported.