Some stranded Nigerian retail traders
THE GHANA Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) has appealed to the Committee on Foreign Retail Trade, to as a matter of urgency, resume operations against illegal Nigerian traders operating in Ghana.
According to GUTA, their appeal for the resumption of operations of the Committee on Foreign Retail Trade was because the Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG) has completely rejected the special dispensation offered to them by the Government of Ghana after a series of diplomatic efforts by both Ghana and Nigeria governments.
In a statement issued yesterday in Accra signed by Alpha A. Shaban, it said Government prevailed on GUTA to exercise restraints as the two sister States tried to find a lasting solution to the long standing issue of infiltration of the markets by foreign retail traders.
As a result, it said the operations of the Committee on Foreign retail trade, which was tasked to check and close down shops of recalcitrant foreigners, was also halted.
In a joint committee meeting of Ghana and Nigeria, when the committee asked the leadership of the Nigerian traders to provide it with the data of their membership and other relevant documentation on their businesses to enable the committee to discuss the issue and make an informed decision in line with the committee’s terms of reference, the Nigerian traders asked for time to produce the documents, which was granted.
At the following meeting, however, they failed to provide the needed information, and told the committee that they could not comply with the request of the joint committee.
“In fact, this incongruous attitude of the Nigerian traders in Ghana is not only an affront but also a well-orchestrated ploy to frustrate the committee, State and people of Ghana,” GUTA said adding that the behaviour of the Nigerian traders had seriously provoked Ghanaian traders and reigniting agitations in the markets.
“The leaders of GUTA are making all efforts to calm down tempers but what we cannot assure of is, to have influence again over the already frustrated and desperate traders.
“We hereby want the world to bear witness to the fact that we – GUTA – have given some concessions to our Nigerian counterparts, but they have failed to accept for which there is nothing more we can do than to call for immediate continuation of the operations of the Committee on Foreign Retail Trade, to ensure sanity in our markets,” it highlighted.