Nigeria, Ghana may row over ID card

Months after the Government of Ghana introduced the fee the authorities have started withdrawing social services from defaulters.Scores of Nigerian traders, students and ECOWAS citizens have complained of victimisation in their schools and other public institutions like banks.Amid the controversy, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Ademola Seyi Onafowokan has hinted that Nigeria may […]

Months after the Government of Ghana introduced the fee the authorities have started withdrawing social services from defaulters.
Scores of Nigerian traders, students and ECOWAS citizens have complained of victimisation in their schools and other public institutions like banks.
Amid the controversy, the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Ademola Seyi Onafowokan has hinted that Nigeria may consider introducing similar fees for Ghanaian nationals in the country, should the government refuse to grant Nigerians a waiver.
“I know that Ghanaians in Nigeria don’t pay such. So I met with the Foreign minister, Hannah Tetteh and she explained to me that it was not her ministry that was in charge. But that she would get back to me officially,” he disclosed.
The envoy said despite several meetings with the Ghanaian Foreign minister, the authorities have refused to exclude Nigerian and ECOWAS citizens from the levy. Sometime in May, Ghana under the auspices of National Identification Authority (NIA) introduced Foreigners Identification Management System (FIMS).
Sanctions for non-compliance include foreigners who stay for a cumulative period of over 90 days in one year without registering will pay a penalty of an amount for the number of days they stayed in the country illegally and non-compliance may result in deportation under the Ghana Immigration Service regulations.
Some of the benefits of the card owner, the NIA stated is that it will help government fast-track resident permits and assist in public planning.