The Concerned Citizens of Ghana (CCG), a pressure group advocating justice, investor protection and regional cooperation, has called on the Government of Ghana to urgently engage Nigerian authorities over what it describes as persistent attacks on Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited, warning that failure to act could undermine bilateral relations and investor confidence within the ECOWAS sub-region.
Addressing a news conference in Accra yesterday, the Convener of the group, Mr James Clarke, alleged that the Ghanaian-owned developer of Abuja’s River Park Estate was facing coordinated actions by Nigerian state institutions aimed at forcing the company out of business.
He urged the Jubilee House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally engage Nigeria’s Presidency at Aso Rock, to ensure the safety of Ghanaian investors and the protection of their investments.
According to the CCG, the latest developments threaten the principles of regional integration and the free movement of investments championed by ECOWAS.
The group’s concerns follow reports by the National Association of Ghanaian Communities in Nigeria (NAGHACON), which alleged that staff and assets of Jonah Capital came under attack after authorities purportedly revoked the company’s Development Lease Agreement.
The CCG claimed that armed policemen attached to Nigeria’s Counter-Terrorism Unit participated in an operation at the company’s Gallery Clubhouse within River Park Estate, during which part of the facility’s entrance was excavated.
Mr Clarke argued that the dispute over the property remains before an international arbitration tribunal, making the reported enforcement actions inappropriate while legal proceedings are still pending.
“No party that is confident of its legal case needs bulldozers and armed men to make its argument,” he stated.
The pressure group said the latest incident comes only months after Nigeria’s Attorney-General discontinued criminal proceedings against Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, owner of Jonah Capital Nigeria Limited, and three other company officials.
Earlier this year, the Ghana News Agency reported that the Attorney-General found no prima facie case of forgery, fraud or related offences against Sir Sam Jonah, Mr Kojo Ansah Mensah, Mr Victor Quainoo and Mr Abu Arome, following an independent review of a long-running ownership dispute over River Park Estate.
The Attorney-General also upheld the findings of an earlier Special Investigation Panel and directed the termination of the criminal case, which was subsequently struck out by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in January this year.
Despite that outcome, the CCG alleged that Jonah Capital had become the target of renewed actions by another arm of the Nigerian government.
The group also cited previous disputes involving changes to the company’s shareholding records at Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission and the detention of one of its executives by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying they reflected a disturbing pattern.
About a fortnight ago, Jonah Capital separately accused Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, of fuelling what it described as a “sustained xenophobic campaign” against Ghanaian investors, after armed policemen were filmed escorting a group of men into one of the company’s facilities in Abuja.
Mr Clarke said the perceived lack of a strong response from Ghana was worrying, particularly when Ghana continues to provide a conducive environment for Nigerian businesses.
He noted that major Nigerian companies, including UBA, Zenith Bank and Access Bank operate freely in Ghana without harassment.
He also recalled Ghana’s swift response following the demolition of part of the Nigerian High Commission’s premises in Accra in 2020, when authorities condemned the act, prosecuted those responsible and facilitated reconstruction of the damaged structure.
The CCG stressed that it was not seeking immunity for Ghanaian businesses operating abroad, but rather equal protection under the law.
It, therefore, appealed to President John Dramani to engage his Nigerian counterpart at the highest diplomatic level and urged Nigerian authorities to suspend all enforcement actions at River Park Estate, guarantee the safety of Ghanaians connected with the project and allow ongoing court and arbitration proceedings to determine the dispute.
By Richard Owusu-Akyaw and Liz Mitchell
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The post Sam Jonah’s Investment ‘Under Siege’ In Nigeria appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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