The All Nigerian Community Ghana (ANC) and the Nigerian Union of Trader Association of Ghana (NUTANG) have said that the Nigerian government is not doing enough to shield them from harassment from Ghanaian authorities, as they demand answers from the Nigerian government.
In a statement signed by the President, All Nigerian Community Ghana, Alj. Salihu Alhaji Mohammed, the group demanded explanations from the government “for the current inertia“ towards the issues of Nigerians in Ghana.
On Wednesday, Speaker of the House of Reps, Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the closure of Nigerian shops contravenes ECOWAS trade protocols and called for a decisive solution between both countries.
This comes after Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Godfrey Onyeama, summoned Ghana’s Chargé d’Affaires to Nigeria, Ms. Iva Denoo, on Monday, to discuss the closure of Nigerian-owned shops in Accra.
The group said the Nigerian trading community in Ghana is under attack due to the crackdowns on Nigerian owned businesses in Ghana, citing regulations banning foreigners from conducting retail business in Ghana.
“While members of the Nigerian trading community have come to Ghana believing in good faith that they are permitted and protected by the ECOWAS laws to freely move here and make a living, unfortunately, authorities in the host country Ghana seem to believed otherwise,” the statement from the group read.
The group said shops and business premises are being locked by local authorities and reiterated that the ECOWAS free movement integration which Nigeria has invested in has become an “aberration”, as the recent guidelines undermine “ the core tenets of regional integration and principles of Africa’ economic renaissance”.
The group says the Nigerian government is aware of their suffering and expresses its shock at the response of the Federal Government. It also called for a dialogue between both nations as most Nigerian traders in Ghana have made Ghana their home as recent harassments from Ghanaian authorities increased during the pandemic.
