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All the Ghanaians living in Niger are safe despite the upheaval in that country, the President of the Ghanaian Residents Association in Niger, Seidu Abudu, has said.
He stated on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Wednesday, August 16 that a WhatsApp group has been created where all Ghanaians put out their concerns for them to be attended to.
Seidu Abudu also revealed that they have been in constant touch with Ghanaian authorities at the embassy.
“As I speak now, all Ghanaian students are safe right now that I am speaking, all the Ghanaians are safe. We are talking about 400 to 500 Ghanaians who are living in Niger.
“For the Ghanaian community, we have created the WhatsApp group so we are using WhatsApp group so that in case of anything they can pass through WhatsApp, so we can contact them and give them some guidance so as not to involve in the demonstrations.”
Asked whether the embassy has contacted them, he answered “As I told you we are having engagements with them.”
Meanhwile, an extraordinary meeting has been scheduled in Accra on Thursday and Friday for army chiefs of some West African states over sending troops to Niger to restore constitutional order.
The meeting follows a decision by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to activate a standby force in the crisis-hit West African nation.
The West African bloc had initially given the military junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani a seven-day ultimatum to reinstate Mohamed Bazoum as President.
After the ultimatum elapsed, the Authority decided on Thursday, August 10 in Abuja, Nigeria to explore other options including an intervention by stand-by force.
Ghana’s Parliament is reported to have thrown its weight behind a military intervention of a combined force in Niger.
Ivory Coast’s leader Alassane Ouattara, after the Abuja meeting, told reporters that his country has completed financial arrangements to contribute a battalion to the force.
“Cote d’Ivoire will provide a battalion and has made all financial arrangements for the operation if it is to last three months,” President Ouattara said.
“Provisions will be made at the budgetary level so that our soldiers and officers who will participate in this operation do not lack anything. So Cote d’Ivoire is ready.”
The Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff’s meeting in Ghana’s military base, Burma Camp, will “finalise plans for the deployment of the Standby Force”.
