A book titled “Coming Home from Agege” that vividly captures the period 1983 to 1985 when many Ghanaians migrated from the country to Nigeria to seek greener pastures has been launched in Accra.
The reasons for the migration were varied, but Nigeria's oil find, availability of jobs and the scarcity of essential commodities in Ghana at that time attracted many Ghanaians to that country.
Speaking at the launch, Commodore Steve Obimpeh (rtd), Senior Presidential Staffer, Office of the President, said the book recounted the event of the repatriation of Ghanaians deported from Nigeria at the time, an operation that was code-named Exodus I & II.
The 242-page book, authored by Mr Kwasi Oduro-Agyekum, recounts the work done by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) government during the period, as it tried to evacuate over two million Ghanaians who were stranded at various borders, airports and harbours in neighbouring West African countries, after they had been given an ultimatum to leave Nigeria.
Commodore Obimpeh said the book, divided into three parts, provided a historical overview of the reasons for Ghanaians' migration to Nigeria, the expulsion orders and their consequences.
“Coming Home from Agege' narrates the odyssey of energetic Ghanaians who left Ghana for neighbouring Nigeria after the latter had discovered oil,” he observed.
Commodore Obimpeh, who is also a former Secretary of Agriculture, said the book narrated and illustrated the story of the African ties, and provided deep insight into the dimensions of its shared history, close relations between cultural and colonial heritage, as well as its interconnected languages.
He asked Ghanaian youth to work hard and build the nation, adding, “you may travel out if you must, for education, better skills in new technologies but when you do, please return to Ghana your motherland and contribute your quota to her development.”
Author speaks
Being a victim of the repatriation exercise, the author, Mr Oduro-Agyekum, stated that the book gave a vivid eyewitness account of the horrifying effects of the 'go home' (Ghana must go) orders of 1983 and 1985.
He added that the book recorded the dehumanising conditions that resulted from the expulsion orders.
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