For Nigerian traders in Ghana, it has been endless days of travails as they have become mere toys in the hands of Ghanaian government authorities to whom it is a pastime to just wake up, move to town and lock up shops owned by Nigerians resident in the country.
The action of the Ghanaian authorities is explained by the ‘Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act 865’ Section 28, sub-section 2 which states that “a person who is not a citizen (of Ghana) may engage in a trading enterprise if that person invests in the enterprise not less than one million United States dollars in cash or goods and services relevant to the investments.”
The Nigerian traders, many of whom are retail buyers and sellers, say the charge is as insensitive as it is practically unaffordable, arguing that there would have been no need for them to cross over to Ghana if they had that kind of money back home.
Individuals and institutions alike have condemned the action of the Ghanaian government, describing it as draconian and insensitive. We cannot agree more, especially as the clamp down on the shops has happened repeatedly, putting businesses on hold and subjecting the owners and their family to needless hardship.
The Nigerian government, reacting to the incident, threatened to drag the Ghanaian authorities to the community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court) if it’s found to have breached the sub-region’s Protocol of free movement of peoples.
Much as we appreciate the concern that the Nigerian government seems to have shown, we are nonetheless miffed that that concern appears to have ended at that level of expression, compelling us to wonder if the government really cares for lives and livelihoods of its citizens in foreign land.
Like most other Nigerians, we are yet to hear of any discussion between authorities of Nigerian government and those of Ghana on how to end this impasse that is tending to break the mutually beneficial relationships the two neighbouring West African countries have enjoyed over the years.
Again, we are yet to hear of an on-going investigation by the Nigerian government to find out if the action of the Ghanaian authorities breaches the ECOWAS Protocols. This overt complacency, in our view, smacks of leadership failure and nonchalance.
It is pertinent to point out that Nigerian traders’ shops had been put under lock and key for eight months before, reopened only when Nigerian embassy was demolished by a Ghanaian national and the country was looking for ways possible to placate Nigeria and its citizens.
These repeated incidents make it imperative for Nigerian government to take decisive steps aimed to end, once and for all, this assault on its citizens which, by extension, is an affront on the country.
But we hold the view strong that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Nigeria must do self-introspection with a view to finding out where it may have got it wrong with its neighbours or breached the ECOWAS Protocols so that it won’t be seen to be playing the ostrich.
People are, increasingly, beginning to see a nexus between the plight of Nigerian traders in Ghana and the 12-month closure of Nigerian land borders which, in more ways than one, is hurting the economy of some West African countries including Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana.
Ghana is alleged to be reacting to the border closure by closing shops owned by Nigerians across their country, amid intimidation. Concerned citizens expect Nigeria to play a ‘big brother’ role by opening the border and encouraging her neighbours to breathe and accommodate her own citizens too.
Though agencies of government claim that the policy has resulted in some economic gains for the country, we share the view that the citizens are paying dearly for the gains in many ways. The plight of Nigerian traders in Ghana is one. High inflation-induced cost of essential food items is another.
Hameed Ali, the comptroller-general of Customs, says the Service has been recording between N4.7 and N5.8 billion as daily revenue higher than what it used to make before the border closure. But, on the flipside, food prices are spiking to incredible levels.
Painfully, Nigerians are now paying N19,000 for a 50kg bag of local parboiled rice, which was sold for N17,500 before the lockdown, indicating a 9 percent price increase. Similarly, a 50kg bag of foreign parboiled rice, which was sold for N22, 000 before the lockdown now sells for N27,000.
All these, in our opinion, are not only unsustainable, but also unacceptable to a people smarting from the ravaging impact of a global pandemic that has pushed most household income to zero-level.
We urge government action NOW.
