Nigerian
businessmen
operating in
Ghana yesterday
cried out to the
Nigerian
government to
come to their
rescue as
Ghanaian
authorities have
commenced
closing their
shops for
allegedly
operating illegally.
The Nigerian
traders said their
shops were
closed because
they were said
not to comply
with the
government
policy which
requires them to
have an initial
capital of $
300,000 and
employ 10
Ghanaians before
they can start
any business in
Ghana regardless
of the size of the
business.
A market in
Ghana
One of the
affected
Nigerians, Mr
Ndukaku
Mbanefo, who
spoke to
Vanguard on
phone from
Ghana said the
Ghanaian
authorities
started closing
shops belonging
to Nigerians
yesterday in
Accra, the
Ghanaian capital
and vowed that
the operation will
be nationwide.
According to him,
“the authorities
in Ghana
yesterday closed
more than 40
shops belonging
to Nigerians and
they are still
closing more.
They closed our
shops because
they said we did
not comply with
the government
policy that
requires every
foreigner who
wants to start
business in Ghana
to have an initial
capital of $300,
000 and must
employ 10
Ghanaians to
work with him
regardless of the
size of the
business. Even if
it is just a small
restaurant or a
barber shop you
must employ 10
Ghanaians and
show evidence
that you have $
300,000 before
you can start.
“There are
nationals of
other West
African countries
like Mali, Cote
D’Ivoire, Niger,
Cameroon who
operate shops in
Ghana like us but
the Ghanaian
authorities would
not touch them.
They target only
Nigerians and I
don’t know why.
In spite of all we
do to boost their
economy and
contribute to
raise their
standard of
living, they don’t
care, they just
hate Nigerians
and discriminate
against us”.
He explained that
“some Nigerian
traders had to
run away and
locked up their
shops when they
saw the
Ghanaian law
enforcement
agents coming
but when the
law enforcement
agents got to
the shops, they
would relock the
shops with their
security padlocks.
Their plan was to
give out these
shops abandoned
by Nigerian
businessmen to
the Ghanaians”.
He therefore
appealed to the
Nigerian
government to
intervene and
protect their
businesses
saying Nigerians
who operate
businesses in
Ghana are law
abiding and hard
working, arguing
that “we should
be allowed to
operate under
the Ecowas trade
treaty.
When the Foreign
Affairs Ministry
was contacted
yesterday on the
plight of Nigerian
businessmen in
Ghana, a source
told Vanguard
that the Ministry
is aware of it and
that the Federal
Government has
stepped into the
matter. He said
the Federal
Government has
reached out to
its Ghanaian
counterpart and
that those
affected should
not rush to the
ECOWAS court as
they have
threatened.
Ghanaian
authorities have
been embarking
on hostile
business
practices against
Nigerians who
are
predominantly in
real estate,
textile and
garments,
electronics,
banking and
telecommunication
and tourism. The
Ghanaian
government had
imposed high
tariff on Nigerian
movies and
restricted
Nigerian actors
from shooting
films in Ghana.
Nigeria’s
telecommunication
giant, Globacom
was caught up
with the high
cost of doing
business which
caused it to delay
some crucial
aspects of its
operations last
year. The
presidential
candidate of
Labour Party
Otunba Dele
Momodu, said the
attitude of
Ghanaian
government is a
flagrant violation
of the ECOWAS
protocol and that
the Nigerians
who are doing
business in Ghana
hold the key to
Ghana’s economic
revival. He said
Nigeria must
stand up to the
maltreatment of
Nigerian in Ghana
because Nigeria
has been too
good to their
West African
neighbour.
Lagos state
Government had
said yesterday
that Nigerians
should stop
empowering
Ghanaians and
other West
Africa countries
by taking
businesses to
those countries
at the detriment
of Nigeria.
Sources said
Ghanaians are
very jittery about
Nigerians
especially those
who are in real
estate business
who are buying
out their
Ghanaian
counterparts.
Nigeria supplies
electricity to
Ghana and under
the Obasanjo
administration
Ghana got over
One hundred
illion dollar loans
from Nigeria.


www.vanguardngr.com/2012/07/ghanaian-govt-chasing-us-out-lament-nigerian-bizmen/