Envoy blames insecurity in Nigeria, others on stateless people

The UNHCR recently reported that about 700,000 people in West Africa had no nationalities, while more than five million others were at risk of being stateless.

The Consul-General of the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria, Abdulai Abukari, on Monday blamed insecurity in Nigeria and other West African countries on unregulated movement of stateless people.

The UNHCR recently reported that about 700,000 people in West Africa had no nationalities, while more than five million others were at risk of being stateless.

Mr. Abukari told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the increasing number of people without nationalities across the region was becoming worrisome.

He advised that something urgent should be done to give the affected persons nationalities.

He described statelessness as a situation where some persons do not have a state, country or nationality.

“Today, we have so many people who hop from Nigeria to Ghana, Ghana to Nigeria, Niger to Nigeria, Cameroon to Nigeria and so on.

“Countries in West Africa should know that such people are instruments for promoting violence and insecurity in our countries.

“For instance in Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency is not only linked\ to Nigeria but with people from other countries,’’ he said.

The envoy, therefore, called on governments in West Africa that were yet to ratify the UN Conventions on Statelessness to urgently do so.

Mr. Abukari also appealed to the governments not to allow statelessness in their countries because of its consequences on the affected persons.

The consul-general said such that consequences, include loss of identity, limited or no access to state protection, services and territory and no right to return to their former countries.

“Statelessness is gradually becoming a major challenge that West African Governments should tackle head-long.

“Affected persons should be made to have nationalities in the states or countries they presently claim.

“This way, they will stop moving about like nomads and governments will be able to protect and provide them with social services,’’ he said.

(NAN)