Yourchoiceng Facts& History: The Chequered History Of 'Ghana Must Go'

'Ghana Must Go' is the name of a common big bag used to store things or pack loads when traveling. But have you ever wondered why this bag is calle 'Ghana Must Go' in Nigeria and Ghana?

In 1983, when Shehu Shagari was the President of Nigeria, an executive order was given to immigrants without proper immigration documents to leave the country or they would be arrested according to the law. Most of the immigrants were West Africans and mainly Ghanaians.

The peculiar thing about them as they left Nigeria was that, they were all seen in a particular type of bag that was either red or blue checked. The 'Ghana Must Go' bag. The migration was then named 'Ghana Must Go'.

President Shehu Shagari sends Ghanaians packing from Nigeria (1983)

In the 1970s, Ghana was facing a lot of economic hardship and just about the same time Nigeria had an oil boom, Nigeria’s economy was flourishing. Citizens of some West African countries (mostly Ghanaians) flocked into Nigeria in search of greener pastures.

In the early 1980s the oil boom somewhat subsided and there was also economic downturn in Nigeria due to low oil prices, jobs were no longer readily available even for Nigerians.

The Federal Government decided that the Ghanaians and other African migrants had overstayed their welcome. The Nigerian government enacted an expulsion order in 1983, and about 700,000 Ghanaians were returned to their country.

President Shehu Shagari sends Ghanaians packing from Nigeria (1983)

Another back story says that there was a beef between the then Ghanaian Head of State Flight Lieutenant Jerry J. Rawlings and the Nigerian President, Shehu Shagari. As the relationship deteriorated between the two leaders, it reflected on the citizens.

The immigrants in Nigeria were seriously threatening the peace of the country and Nigerians were not ready to take that. The situation began getting heated in 1980 when a Cameroonian expatriate named Muhammed Marwa alias Maitastine spearheaded a religious uprising (Maitastine Uprising of 1980 ) that led to the death of scores.

Muhammed Marwa alias Maitastine caught by the police

Maitastine was an illegal immigrant like many of his followers who were from Burkina Faso, Niger and Cameroon. This uprising is considered the second most tragic event in Nigeria after the Biafran war.

Still reeling from the tragedy of the uprising, a robbery happened at Ekwueme’s house. Alexander Ekwueme, the then Nigerian Vice President was robbed by a group of armed robbers which consisted mainly of expatriates. When the robbers were caught by the police, it was discovered that two of them were Ghanaians.

This sent the whole of Nigeria crazy. Instant action was taken by the Nigerian government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. On the 17th of January, 1983, the Nigerian Minister of Internal Affairs, Alhaji Alli Baba, announced the immediate expulsion of all illegal immigrants in Nigeria within two weeks.

President Shehu Shagari also added in a statement, “If they don’t leave, they should be arrested and tried, and sent back to their homes. Illegal immigrants under normal circumstances, should not be given any notice whatsoever. If you break a law, then you have to pay for it. ”

Panic gripped all aliens without papers in Nigeria for it was the least expected action of the Nigerian government. It was rumored that the Federal government gave power to Nigerians to confront any alien after the ultimatum given to leave.

The late Alhaji Shehu Shagari

This scared the expatriates and sent them fleeing with and without their luggage. Those who could pack their belongings used the biggest of bags available which happened to be the big bag which is now referred to today as 'Ghana Must Go'.

Now 'Ghana Has Gone' and is now considered to be one of the more stable countries in West Africa with evidential growth in their economy and enviable developments across all spheres while we (Nigerians) still languish in poverty, corruption and N27,000 minimum wage.

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