Nigeria has to stop the excesses of Ghanaian traders now

Members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) have long made themselves enemies of businesses owned by Nigerians in their country. It’s an action with a xenophobic intent but specifically targeted at shops and businesses. 

Again this week, these people choose to shut down shops owned by Nigerians in Kumasi, the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The move was said to be part of a continuing operation against foreigners engaging in retail business in the country.

The traders cited Ghanaian laws to justify their action, insisting that they were left with no choice than to move into the markets and lock the shops up themselves because the law enforcement agencies failed to enforce the law.

According to the union, the activities of the Nigerian traders and other foreign retailers flouted section 27 of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act 865.

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That law stipulates that 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 must be reserved for Ghanaians.

This is coming barely five months after the same incident happened in July this year.  Back then, Nigerian shops at Suame Magazine at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region were locked. The most affected were business people who deal in vehicle spare parts.

The group accused the victims of evading tax and selling substandard products which is a threat to the market.

The Ghanaian retailers added that the actions of these Nigerian shop owners are affecting their sales because most people do not want to buy the secondhand products (which they sell) anymore but the substandard new ones brought in by the Nigerians.

“People don’t buy from us anymore and they (Nigerians) are smart and fast, because of the Nigerians they don’t buy anything from Ghanaians, they have destroyed the market they bring in substandard parts because of that everybody wants new not the home-used,” they said.

These are actions that undermine any trade treaty West African countries may have entered into. Ghanaians run legal businesses in Nigeria and other nations with no restriction or trade exceptions. How would Ghana justify this pointless restriction on our business owners?

Like the xenophobia in South Africa, the Federal Government has allowed this illegality and oppression to continue. And unless we take steps to protect our people, and compel the Ghanaian government to do the right thing, this could spiral into violent attacks on our citizens.

Qwenu! publishes opinions, stories, reflections, and experiences of Africans on contemporary issues. Click here to read articles from Africans at home and in the diaspora. Embedded tweets do not represent the opinions of Qwenu! or its writers. Email submissions to editor@qwenu.com Follow us @qwenu_media

I create engaging content and tell well-suited brand stories for the online audience. I also help businesses craft winning strategies for marketing on the digital media. Very passionate about project management, education and youth development, I find pleasure in solving problems under these concepts.

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