We are ready to leave Ghana – Nigerian traders finally agree

The Nigerian Union of Traders Association Ghana (NUTAG) has finally agreed its members are prepared to leave the Ghanaian local market if the government has asked them to do so.

“The truth of the matter is, to the best of my knowledge, even the Ghanaian authority, our authority and ECOWAS Parliament and ECOWAS Commission and on most occasions, the GIPC is not meant for ECOWAS.  It is for other nationals. And me personally I stand on that, either Ghana government or ECOWAS make it clear to us that yes if you are a  Nigerian you must abide with the GIPC law or else leave the country, then I will be the first person to leave because I don’t have 1 million dollars”. Chief Chukwuemeka Nanji President of NUTAG has said.

The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) law says; ‘A person who is not a citizen or an enterprise which is not wholly-owned by a citizen, shall not invest or participate in the sale of goods or provision of services in a market, petty trading or hawking or selling of goods in a stall at any place’.

However, enforcing this law, members of GUTA recently embarked on an exercise of closing stores and shops owned by their counterparts from Nigeria who were engaging in retail activities in Ghana. The closure of shops owned by Nigerians prompted its government issuing warning to Ghana over the decision by GUTA.

Following the impasse, Ghana’s Speakers of Parliament Reverend Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye and his Nigerian counterpart, Olufemi Gbajabiamila, held talks in Accra to find solutions to the challenges brought about as a result of Ghana’s implementation of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act 2013, Act 865 during Diplomatic a visit to the country.

After a round table discussion in Parliament on Wednesday, Speaker Olufemi Gbajabiamila urged that the two countries should use legislative diplomacy to resolve the issues confronting them.

Meanwhile, Ghana has agreed to amend the GIPC law after the discussion.

However, speaking in an interview with GBC radio programme Behind the News with Ibrahim Kwarteng monitored by MyNewsGh.com, President of the NUTAG Chief Chukwuemeka Nanji said he is ready to protect and uphold good relationship his country and Ghana have enjoyed over the years saying “Ghana and Nigeria have a very long way and I don’t think some individuals would have the capacity of bringing anything that will taut the relationship between the two countries who have been living as twin brothers for many decades”

But the Ghana Union of Trader Association (GUTA) on the other hand has said they feel being vindicated on their position on the intention to oppose Nigerians from engaging in retail business in Ghana.

Source: MyNewsGH.com