Opinions of Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Columnist: Transient Justice

Nigerians and Fulani must go!!

The criminal activities of Nigerians and Fulanis in Ghana have reached a tipping point and it is about time the leaders either flush them out or, get voted out. As a person who is tolerant and believes in giving people a chance I have tried very hard to not write this article! I have written it 5 times and deleted it 5 rimes but, after reading a few articles and looking into some details I believe now is the time to take care of the Nigerian and Fulani problem. In writing this article I am not saying both groups are bad. In fact, I believe some can stay be be upstanding citizens but, the criminal element within this group must be kicked out of Ghana our great state will have a bigger issue later.

The Fulani are one of the native Ethnic groups in West Africa. They are predominantly know for herding animals around and move from place to place depending on were their animals take them. The main problem is, their animals tend to mess up farmers crops and, this creates the environment for conflict thus, if they cannot become farmers then, they should not be allowed in Ghana which is historically a land of predominatly farmers. Doing so is a direct harm to the livelihood of Ghanaians and creates the environment for conflict to occur. Historically the Fulani have no land in Ghana and the fact that their criminal activity in places in the Northern part of Ghana and essentially any area that has welcomed them is prevalent shows that some simply cannot live amongst us thus, they must be kicked out. If one insists on keeping this criminal element then, farmers must arm themselves but, doing so could eventually destabilize communities they travel to thus, the best solution is to either kick them all out or reform them (i.e. force them to become farmers). To keep it simple I am tired of reading about a people who are not even from the country constantly committing crimes. In fact due to their job they are often armed and this further destabilizes areas were the people tend to live simple lives and don't necessarily need to arm themselves even though many are now considering doing it!!! Thus, either we end their free travel to Ghana or, we work on reforming them but, things as they are now is not sustainable and could cause conflict in the future.

Nigerians in Ghana have done a lot of good and the business community have shown the ability to invest in the country. When I say Nigerians should go I am not talking about the business community or the "good Nigerians" but, I am referring to the 120,000 who snuck into the country in 2010 through the eastern part of the country according to recent sources! 120,000 is too much! Ghana is a unique country with unique demographics and, accepting 120,000 people a year is a road map to a disaster. A number as high as 3000 would be okay but 120,000 in a country of 25 million is creating the seed for future conflict! Statistics show that there may be up to 1 million Nigerians in Ghana(not including the 25 million native Ghanaians) if that dangerous number is true that means that there are more Nigerians in Ghana than, Akuapems, Akwamu's, Gonja's etc etc. This is simply too much! With a population of 160 million one must realize that an endless number of people can come in and essentially make Ghana a new Nigeria.

This is a bad idea and must not be allowed to happen. It is even shocking and comical that so many common Nigerians are now sneaking into Ghana when just 30 years ago they kicked 1.5 million Ghanaians out of Nigeria and named a bag after us called the bag "Ghana must go" due to propaganda by the then Nigerian leadership who blamed Ghanaian's on stealing all the jobs!! Admittedly we did a similar thing in 1969 a move which I still support even today due to the dangerous demographic situation that may have been created! The main reason why some Nigerians must go is the simple fact that Ghana is what it is because of its people and such a disastrous immigration policy will create a demographic switch and subsequently ruin the unique nature of the country. Ghana has accepted many immigrants over the years and I want to emphasize once again that I have no problem with a sane immigration policy but, an endless influx of immigrants in a country that is still working to empower it's many citizens is dangerous! This is especially so if criminal activity is brought.

Thus, Ghana needs a better immigration policy. I would emphasize once again that not all immigrants are bad but, the bad seeds must be flushed out or the common citizens may be forced to flush them out. Is Atta Mills gov. listening? This is a tough issue but, one must look at it objectively. Again, I have no problem with immigration but, I expect people who immigrate to follow the rules and respect our laws. I also expect immigration to not create a major demographic switch or harm the people who are welcoming others with open arms. Atta Mills better listen and sit up or he will get kicked out! The people are watching and waiting patiently but, from what I have seen, they will not be patient for too long.

Penname Transient Justice