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Introduction
In West Africa, there has been inter-country migration pre- and post-colonial times. Citizens from both Ghana and Nigeria have moved to the other country for various reasons. Nigerians, including many Igbos, moved to the Gold Coast (now Ghana) for trade and job opportunities. It is estimated that nearly 140,000 Nigerians, including Igbos, resided in Ghana by 1969.
However, the migration rift between Ghana and Nigeria can be traced back to 1969, when a mass expulsion forced most Nigerians to leave Ghana. In the 1980s, Ghanaians were also forced to leave Nigeria.
Today, both countries have substantial populations living in each country. A recent uproar on social media suggests a sublime establishment of the Igbo Kingdom on Ghanaian soil, which many Ghanaians believe is not right and should not be accepted.
DUBAWA seeks to delve into the issue that has gained traction on social media in recent weeks.
History of Igbo Cultural Display
Ghana’s Igbo population, with organised groups like Ohanaeze Ndigbo Ghana and annual cultural celebrations (e.g., the New Yam Festival featuring traditional attire, dance, and food), emphasises heritage preservation and integration into Ghanaian society.
In August 2012, Eze Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu was ceremonially enstooled as Eze Ndi Igbo Ghana. The event, held in East Legon, Accra, was attended by Ga Traditional Council dignitaries, including the acting president of the council and Darkuman Chief Nii Okai II.
This council-level participation provided cultural legitimacy within Ghana’s diverse landscape, though the ceremony itself did not confer legal recognition under Ghana’s Chieftaincy Act.
In December 2013, Eze (Dr) Chucks Ihenetu installed sub-chiefs and elders to improve the well-being of the Igbo nation in Ghana.
Enstooled Igbo sub-chiefs in Ghana. Credit: ezeigbogh.org
The colourful ceremony took place in his palace, and dignitaries from far and near attended.
The “Igbo Village” Controversy: Plans in Old Ningo
In July 2025, many media outlets and social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, and X claimed Ihenetu had acquired 50 acres (250 plots) in Old Ningo, near the Tema–Aflao road, for an Igbo Village.
The proposed community would feature a palace, a guesthouse, an auditorium, Igbo-named streets (e.g., Nnamdi Azikiwe Lane), and cultural exhibits modelled after the Igbo Village in Virginia, USA. The initiative purportedly aimed to serve as an educational hub for Igbo culture, tourism, and community engagement in Ghana.
Legal Framework governing Chieftaincy in Ghana
Article 277(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana formally posits that a chief is someone of “appropriate family and lineage,” who has been validly selected, nominated or elected, and enstooled or enskinned customarily within Ghana’s recognised traditional system. This precludes foreign nationals from validly occupying Ghanaian chieftaincy titles or ruling autonomously within Ghanaian territorial confines.
Also, in Ghana, the Chieftancy Act, 2008 (Act 759) establishes the Regional House of Chiefs and Traditional Councils, which oversee lineage-based enstoolment, enskinment, and installation of Chiefs.
Subsection (5) of Section 57 of the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759) adds that a person shall not perform acts of a chief unless the person has been registered for that performance in the National Register of Chiefs.
“A person shall not be considered to be a chief for the performance of a function under this Act or any other enactment, that person has been registered for the performance of that function in the National Register of Chiefs and that person’s name has been published in the Chieftaincy Bulletin.”
Public and Official Backlash
The announcement triggered significant concern from several social media users on various platforms. Ningo Traditional Council issued an urgent letter (8 July 2025) declaring no land had been sold, no clan consent given, and no intention to host any foreign ruler or permit buildings labelled as an “Igbo Kingdom.” It further advised the Interior Minister to investigate Ihenetu and instructed the District Assembly not to issue any building permits
The MP’s Reaction
Commenting on the issue, Sam George, MP for Ningo-Prampram, in a post on X dismissed the idea.
“Today, the Ningo Traditional Council met on the matter of an alleged ‘Kingdom’ in Old Ningo. The Council has reaffirmed the position, as stated yesterday, that no such arrangement exists. We are calling on law enforcement to act swiftly and deal decisively with the individuals making such claims. Ningo is Ningo and would remain as such to be handed over to our children and their children,” he stated emphatically on July 8, 2025.
The GA Traditional Council’s declaration
In a fresh development, the present Ga Traditional Council has issued a strong statement dissociating itself from Eze Dr. Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu and his activities.
In a press release dated July 9, 2025, the Council emphasised that it has never recognised any individual as King of the Igbos within the Ga State and ordered Ihenetu to “cease and desist” from holding himself out as such. The release, signed by Registrar Evelyn Amewotse on behalf of the Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, also directed all Paramount and Divisional Chiefs installed by Ihenetu to abandon their claims and cease performing any traditional activities under his authority. The Council further warned that all Igbo cultural festivities presided over by Ihenetu as King should stop immediately, stressing that while the Ga people are hospitable, their goodwill “should not be taken for granted.”
Conclusion
Although inter-country migration is a predated practice, the laws of Ghana state emphatically that only citizens with lineage and customary enstoolment, enskinment, and installation may assume the role and performance of chiefs. Non-citizens are restricted from Chieftaincy.
