By Dennis Agbo
A coalition of affected traders from all parts of Nigeria, doing businesses in Ghana has demanded for safe evacuation from Ghana of Nigeria traders whose shops and businesses have crumbled in the West Africa country due to a xenophobic law that prevents foreigners from operation of certain categories of businesses in Ghana.
The Coalition lamented the continued gruesome treatment meted out on Nigerian traders in Ghana and demanded for an immediate activation of plans to evacuate Nigerian traders in Ghana to forestall unsavory outcomes staring them in the face in their host country.
In a statement, on Monday, the Coalition which is drawn from the six geopolitical Zones of Nigeria, stated that it was calling on the Nigerian Government to start making plans for an immediate and expedited evacuation of Nigerian compatriots trading in Ghana that are facing untold hardships.
The statement was signed by Alhaji Buba Amshi (North East), Emmanuel Zopmal (North Central) Ibrahim Bunu (North West) Nze Ugo-Akpe Onwuka (South East), Eric Oluwole (South West) and Bassey E. Livingstone (South South).
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The statement reads: “It is no more news that the Government of Ghana in its claims of targeting foreigners engaged in petty trading, an area of trade they claim is reserved by law solely for the locals have resorted to targeting Nigerian Traders in Ghana while other foreigners are allowed to freely operate in the same area of trading prohibited for the supposed foreigners.
“By these persistent actions since 2007, it has become very clear that the Ghanaian Government is flagrantly discriminating against the Nigerian nationals in its purported enforcement of the so-called investment laws. It is very pertinent to note that this decision was reached after critically considering the rapidly deteriorating free and uninhibited living of the Nigerian traders in Ghana.”
The Coalition stated that with the latest spate of closure of Nigerian owned shops in Ghana, things have gone from bad to worse for these traders as their lives have been endangered while their sources of livelihood have been put on hold.
“These traders have had to contend with life challenging and threatening situations such as untold hardships amongst the affected traders, some of the traders are unable to receive medical treatment due to lack of finance which ultimately leads to death. Properties of affected traders are being foreclosed on by Banks due to inability to meet up with loans payment; Physical attacks and abuse from Ghana Union of Traders (Circle Branch, Accra), the coalition said.”
They demanded that the Federal government should within 30 days set up machinery to draw an evacuation plan of Nigerian traders who they said were no more interested in continuing with the unabating harassments to their lives and threats to shut down their sources of livelihoods in Ghana.
It would be recalled that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila recently visited Ghana with the hope of bringing an end to the situation.
