PRESIDENT of the Nigerian Traders Union in Ghana, Chukwuemeka Nnaji, on Saturday, decried the Ghanaian authorities’ closure of shops owned by Nigerians doing business in the country.
Nnaji, who made this known in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, urged the Federal Government to intervene in the matter.
He said that shops belonging to Nigerian traders in Accra were locked up by Ghanaian authorities who demanded cash payment of one million dollars from them before the shops would be opened.
According to him, an inter-ministerial Task Force went round on August 10 to identify shops owned by Nigerian traders and request for registration of business taxes, resident permit, standard control and Ghana Investment Promotion Council registration.
He said, “Most of our members do not have the GIPC registration, because it requires one million dollars cash or equity and they gave us 14 days within which to regularise.
“As of Thursday, they had moved to another area and started locking up shops of Nigerian traders. Nigerian life in Ghana matters. This is the livelihood of Nigerians being destroyed by Ghanaian Authorities. This is not being perpetrated by a trade union, but Ghanaian authorities.”
Nnaji added, “They demanded that we must employ a minimum of 25 skilled Ghanaian workers and must not trade in commodities that Ghanaian traders have applied to trade in.
“The humiliation of Nigerians is getting out of hand. We are calling on the Nigerian government to come to our aid. We have legally registered our businesses and we pay taxes.”
– NAN
