Igbo King urges Ghana government to consider Nigerians in retail trade

The Igbo King in Ghana, His Royal Majesty Eze Igbo Dr. Chukwudi Ihenetu has urged the government here to work out modalities to consider Nigerians to take part in the retail trade reserved for the local people.

According to him the bond of unity between the Government of Ghana and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is so strong hence the need to protect it.

He emphasized that most Nigerians migrate to Ghana to seek greener pastures and do not have the financial wherewithal to register a company to trade in the country.

He said, “Quite a number of Nigerians come to Ghana to seek greener pastures and it is not easy for them to have abundant money to make that declaration of 1 million United States Dollars (USD) to the Bank of Ghana and register a company with 0.5 percent at the Registrar General to set up a company that belongs to you as a foreigner.”

“I am therefore pleading with the Government of Ghana to temper justice with mercy to allow Nigerians in the country to partake in the retail trade to help them get little money to cater for themselves,” Dr. Ihenetu appealed.

Section 27(1) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act, Act 2013, prohibits foreigners from engaging in the retail trade.

Despite this provision, quite a number of Nigerians who have migrated to major towns in Ghana including Accra, Kumasi and others are engaged in the retail business reserved for the locals.

This has resulted in various clashes between the locals and the foreigners with the former arguing they are being pushed out of business by the expatriates.

There have been a series of engagements orchestrated by the Ghanaian government and the traders but the problem seems not to be over.