The President of the Nigerian Traders Union (NTU) in Ghana, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nnaji, has condemned Ghanaian authorities’ closure of shops owned by Nigerians doing business in the country.
Nnaji who disclosed this in a telephone interview said shops belonging to Nigerian traders in Accra were locked up by Ghanaian authorities who demanded cash payment of $1 million from the traders before the shops would be opened.
He therefore urged the federal government to intervene in the matter.
According to NAN, Nnaji stated that an inter-ministerial task force went round on August 10 to identify shops owned by Nigerian traders and requested for registration of business taxes, resident permit, standard control and Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) registration.
“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 (August 13), 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.
“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,” he said.
