The impasse between Ghanaian traders and their counterparts From Nigeria is gradually reaching a consensus after the Nigerian traders agreed to leave the country. This new development was contained in a new statement issued by the Nigerian Union of Traders Association Ghana (NUTAG).
“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 on GBC radio programme Behind the News.
Ghanaian traders have been complaining bitterly about how Nigerian traders have taken over the market and dealing in wholesale and retail sales which is against the laws of the country.
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’.
This is led to the closure of shops which led to led to a frosty relationship between the two countries but fortunately 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.
