The flourishing business relationship between Nigeria and Ghana may have come under serious threat as Senate on Tuesday resolved to probe the closure of Nigerian businesses by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
Read Also: Reps mandate FG to prevent another xenophobia on Nigerians in Ghana
The Senate said it would compel the Nigerian government to drop all business agreements with Ghana if the country continued to issue ill-treatment to Nigerian traders doing business that country.
By the year 2010, it was established that Nigerian businesses accounted for 60 per cent of foreign investments in Ghana.
It was gathered that on December 2, 2019, Nigerian traders were molested in Ghana and that no fewer than 600 shops were closed and they have remained unopened.
To find ways of salvaging the situation, Senator Ifeanyi Uba (Anambra South), on Tuesday moved a motion for the Senate to investigate the ill-treatment Nigerian traders suffer in Ghana.
According to Uba, to frustrate Nigerian businesses, the Ghanaian authorities have adopted discriminatory legislation such as the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) which has raised the amount for business registration to $200,000.
He said the authorities had also prohibited foreigners from trading in particular markets.
Uba, who lamented the situation, accused the Nigerian federal government of not taking proactive steps to make sure Nigerian traders in Ghana are protected.
Consequently, the Senate resolved to form an ad-hoc committee to liaise with the ministry of foreign affairs, trade and investment, to visit Ghana and get concise information on the root cause of the business closures.
In his remarks, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, noted that the responsibility of every government was to protect all its citizens and their businesses wherever they are located.
“These closures of businesses may either be as a result of misunderstanding, but the time has come when African countries must come together and find from Ghana what is the issue and find a lasting solution to the problem,” Lawan stated.
