Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has issued a direct caution to Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, a Nigerian national who gained viral notoriety for claiming intentions to establish an “Igbo Kingdom” in Ghana.
The minister emphasised that while Ghana embraces its Pan-African identity and welcomes all, foreign nationals must strictly adhere to Ghanaian laws and customs and refrain from any actions that could be “unlawful, divisive, and incendiary”.
The diplomatic intervention comes after a recent viral video surfaced, showing Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu discussing plans to acquire a tract of land for the purported purpose of creating an Igbo Kingdom within Ghana.
This sparked significant public outcry in Ghana, with many citizens, traditional leaders, and political figures expressing concern that such an endeavour undermined Ghana’s sovereignty and its established chieftaincy institutions.
In a Facebook post today, July 17, Mr Ablakwa confirmed that he had invited Ihenetu for a meeting to address the alarming claims.
During the meeting, Ihenetu clarified that the viral video was an old interview from 2013, which he now “deeply regrets”.
He assured the minister that he had “long abandoned that idea and has not purchased any piece of land for that purpose.”
Ihenetu “conveyed profuse apologies to the President, Government, Chiefs and People of Ghana for the unfortunate agitations his rather ill-advised interview has created,” according to the minister’s post.
Nr Ablakwa underscored Ghana’s foundational principles during the discussion.
“As I emphasised in the meeting, Ghana is exceptionally proud of its celebrated friendly foreign policy, which is welcoming of all to our beautiful and peaceful country, particularly Africans and people of African descent. We are determined to keep championing that Pan-African identity, for which we have attained global renown.”
However, he firmly added a crucial caveat: “We, however, expect all our fellow Africans and guests to adhere to our peaceful and law-abiding traditions and desist from conduct or pronouncements considered unlawful, divisive and incendiary even as they enjoy our famed hospitality.”
This caution directly addresses concerns about potential violations of Ghanaian law.
Under Ghanaian law, while foreigners can acquire interests in land, this is typically through leasehold arrangements, not outright freehold ownership, especially for individuals.
The Ghanaian Constitution (Article 266) and Lands Act, 2020 (Act 1036) restrict freehold ownership of land to Ghanaian citizens.
Foreigners can generally lease land for up to 50 years, renewable, but the concept of establishing an independent “kingdom” within Ghanaian territory, complete with its own “king”, directly challenges Ghana’s sovereignty and established traditional governance structures recognised by the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759).
The incident, though clarified, briefly reignited historical tensions between Ghana and Nigeria, two West African powerhouses with a complex relationship often characterised by both strong brotherhood and intermittent flare-ups.
- “Ghana Must Go” (1983): This refers to the mass expulsion of over one million Ghanaians (and other West African nationals) from Nigeria in 1983, when Nigeria faced economic downturns and blamed foreigners for rising unemployment and crime.
- Aliens Compliance Order (1969): Prior to that, Ghana, under Prime Minister Kofi Busia, implemented the “Aliens Compliance Order” in 1969, leading to the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of undocumented foreign nationals, a significant number of whom were Nigerians.
- Recent Trade Tensions: In recent years, trade disputes have led to the closure of Nigerian-owned shops in Ghana by local traders who accuse them of violating retail trade laws (e.g., Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act 2013, which restricts certain retail activities to Ghanaians or requires high foreign equity). This has sometimes resulted in heightened anti-foreigner sentiments.
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