The Nigerian Union of Traders Association of Ghana (NUTAG) has reacted to the statement from Nigeria’s Speaker on the Ghana-Nigeria trade impasse by stating that the speaker’s comment does not reflect what is happening on the ground.
A report by the Daily Graphic on Friday, 4th September 2020 said that the speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the recent impasse between Nigeria and Ghana is as a result of misinformation created by some people and fueled by the media in both countries.
However, president of NUTAG, Emeka Nnaji, speaking in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show disclosed that the issue was no case of misconception as over two hundred and fifty (250) shops owned by Nigerians have been closed by the presidential task force.
“I don’t see any misconception there. The case is very clear. Apart from every other thing that has happened, Nigerian shops have been closed. The reason they closed the shops is that they said we did not register with Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and registering with GIPC is making available capital of 1 million USD. So where is the misconception there? There is no misconception there. The shops are closed but the people are registered with registrar general”, he said.
Emeka suggested that Ghana was signed onto the ECOWAS treaty that covers trade between countries and as such this treaty supersedes any other law.
“Ghanaians subscribed to ECOWAS and they have a benefit from ECOWAS. And ECOWAS says this is how you have to treat our citizens. So if you sign to this you have agreed. It is not as if we do not know there is a law in the land. We do know. But the ECOWAS law says the same legislation you use for your nationals will be applied to ECOWAS citizens and that is why your passport has ECOWAS on it. We are citizens of West Africa and that is what the whole thing is all about”, he added.
He further observed that this occurrence only comes about in an election period or when a new government comes into power.
There has been an existing trade feud between Nigerian traders in Ghana and Ghanaian traders following concerns raised by Ghanaian traders that foreigners have taken over the retail business which has been designated to Ghanaians under the GIPC Act 2013 (Act 865). This has led to the forceful closure of Nigerian owned shops by the Ghana Union of Traders Association.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah