The untold Ghana-must-go story is a cold one but not fiddling.
In 1983 a war was fought between Nigeria and Ghana, not a bullet was expelled – but humans were.
The exodus of Ghanaians on the order of the Nigerian government in 1983 echoed a tale wrapped in the infamous “Ghana Must Go” bags — an emblem of a painful expulsion that lingers in the collective memory.
A cold chapter
In 1958, Nigeria struck oil as a young, soon-to-be-liberated country with a population of 100-million. First Shell, then Mobil and Agip set up shop in the country to drill oil commercially.
The oil money was steady, and hopes were high that Nigeria could prosper despite the brutal military regimes that marred that period. In the 1970s, the economy exploded when oil prices soared worldwide.
The golden decade had arrived, and the country became Africa’s wealthiest, securing its title – Giant of Africa.
By 1974, Nigeria’s oil wells were spitting out some 2.3 million barrels a day. The standard of living improved. There was an influx of people from the farms into the cities; when they travelled, robust iron boxes were generally preferred over cheap plastic sacks.
While Nigeria enjoyed the heyday, its closest English-speaking neighbour, Ghana, was going through quite the opposite.
A deadly mix of famine and insurgency was fondled by a crash in the price of cocoa (Ghana was the world’s largest cocoa producer in the 1960s) and the 1966 coup, which ousted independence leader Kwame Nkrumah.
At the time, the country’s population hovered around the seven-million mark, but several million people decided to journey east and try their fortunes in prosperous Nigeria.
The Exodus Unfolds
It was the year 1983, Nigerian President Shehu Shagari had declared the expulsion of around two million undocumented migrants, half of whom were Ghanaian.
What followed was a hurried exodus, a forced departure etched in the minds of those who, like Mudi Tagwaye, carried the weight of uncertainty in a single bag.
The bags were nondescript, checked patterns in blue and red, once merely practical containers for belongings. However, when they acquired the moniker “Ghana Must Go” bags, they transformed into vessels of despair and symbols of exclusion. Tagwaye, like many others, embarked on a journey home, leaving behind a place that had promised prosperity.
From Prosperity to Desperation
In the backdrop of this expulsion lay a complex economic tale. Nigeria, buoyed by oil wealth, stood as Africa’s giant, a beacon of prosperity. Meanwhile, Ghana, grappling with post-coup turmoil and a cocoa crash, witnessed a mass exodus toward the Nigerian dream. But the tide turned with the oil crash of the early ’80s, a sharp decline in prices that struck at the heart of Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy.
The repercussions were profound. Once-thriving cities became strained, resources dwindled, and the prosperity that had attracted millions dimmed. In Ghana, economic hardship escalated, and those who had sought refuge in Nigeria faced a harsh reality. The once-lucrative opportunities dwindled, giving way to scarcity, long queues, and a sense of despair.
Why it happened
As Nigerians faced the fallout of the oil crash, a reciprocal expulsion unfolded. Ghanaians, who had sought a better life across the border, found themselves on the receiving end of a tumultuous journey home. Borders closed, stampedes ensued, and the infamous bags became vessels of both belongings and emotional baggage.
Dr. Mawuli Adjei, reflecting on the dire state of Ghana at the time, remarked:
“Ghana was hell.”
Economic woes, scarcity of basic necessities, and a sense of hopelessness drove many, including Adjei, to leave in search of a better life. The flow of people, once driven by promise, now faced the challenges of closed borders, disease, and an uncertain future.
Unraveling the Emotional Baggage
The “Ghana Must Go” saga didn’t end with the physical journey. The bags, once symbols of expulsion, returned to haunt those who carried them. Tagwaye, now 67, gazes at these bags in stores across Ghana, a stark reminder of a period many wish to forget. The emotional baggage of forced departure and economic upheaval still lingers in the diplomatic relations between Ghana and Nigeria, echoing through the years.
Despite the passage of time, the wounds inflicted by the events of 1983 remain unhealed. Ghana and Nigeria, intertwined by history and shared experiences, have not officially reconciled over this painful chapter.
Also read: Ghana must go
As music plays, actors cross borders, and trade thrives between the nations, the unspoken apologies and unaddressed grievances persist, reminding us that the echoes of history, like the checked bags, endure with a silent weight.
The international community was eagerly offended by Nigeria’s decision to expel foreigners, however, the tit-for-tat expulsions haunted relations between Ghana and Nigeria for many years.
They still do, in the circles of foaming entertainment.
Culled in by Fortune Omosola
