Kofi Annan’s legacies can strengthen Ghana-Nigeria relationship – Envoy

Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Rashid Bawa, has said that the relationship between the two countries can be further be strengthened by the legacies entrenched by the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Bawa said that Annan, who served as the 7th UN scribe and was a co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize, would be […]

Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Rashid Bawa, has said that the relationship between the two countries can be further be strengthened by the legacies entrenched by the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Bawa said that Annan, who served as the 7th UN scribe and was a co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize, would be remembered for his contributions toward ensuring world peace and security and conflict resolution.

“His fundamental belief was that there can be no development between the two countries without peace and peace can only be achieved through the resolution of conflict.

“He contributed to the promotion of dialogue and the strengthening of institutions between Ghana and Nigeria, and also in ensuring that ECOWAS protocols were adhered to, especially that free movement of persons and goods are achieved.”

According to him, both countries can achieve a lot by drawing from Annan’s legacies.

On Annan’s funeral programme, Bawa said that the Condolence Register at the Ghana High Commission in Abuja was closed on Friday.

He said that his body would be received in Accra on Sept. 10, lie in state from Sept. 11 to Sept. 12 while the burial would take place on Sept. 13 at the new Military cemetery, Burma Camp, Ghana.

Annan died on Aug. 18 in Bern, Switzerland, after a brief illness.

On the issue of the trade face-off which witnessed the closure of the shops of many Nigerian traders in 2012, the high commissioner described the incident as unfortunate, saying that it emanated from wrong implementation of government directives.

“It is unfortunate because relation between both countries can be traced to the colonial era and both played key roles in establishment of ECOWAS protocols.

“The concern of the Ghanaian government was that there was introduction of goods and involvement of persons from countries outside ECOWAS sub-region in petty trading in Ghana community.