Mr John Mahama, Former President of Ghana on Tuesday appealed to the Nigeria Government to open up her border so that economic activities can resume in West Africa.

Mahama made the plea while delivering the 7th Anniversary Lecture, Investiture into The Realnews Hall of Fame and The unveiling of the Book: Pathways to Political and Economic Development of Africa in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports the title of the lecture is `Beyond Politics: An Economic Narrative for West Africa’.
He said that the total closure of, especially, the Benin border was having a significant toll on many small and medium businesses especially in Togo, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire that relied on inter-country trade.

“I am sure that businesses in Nigeria that rely on supplies from these countries are also suffering.

“With the signing of the joint border task force agreement between Nigeria and her neighbours, I will like to take this opportunity to appeal to Nigeria to open up her border so that economic activities can resume,” he said.

Mahama said as a former Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa States, and Authority of Heads of State and Government, he had an abiding interest in the progress of ECOWAS and its people.

He noted that it was not by accident that Nigeria was home to the headquarters of the ECOWAS and the largest economy in West Africa.

According to him, the import of the following quote from the objective principles for the establishment of ECOWAS cannot be lost on us.

“ECOWAS was set up to foster the ideal of collective self-sufficiency for its member states.

“As a trading union, it is also meant to create a single, large trading bloc through economic cooperation.

“Integrated economic activities as envisaged in the area revolve around but are not limited to industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial issues, social as well as cultural matters,” he said.

The ex-president expressed optimism that as an economic and regional bloc, a lot of economic opportunities were available to ECOWAS and they must take advantage of them.

https://punchng.com/ghanas-ex-president-mahama-appeal-to-nigeria-govt-to-open-up-borders/

If Nigeria adopts the policy China adopted in closing her border for a very long time, Nigeria will definitely have a lot of indigenous maufacturers sprout up in automobile, agriculture etc and countries like Ghana, SA and Egypt will be nowhere close to Nigeria economically.

Oga dey your dey make we dey our dey....

The keys to the border should be thrown inside the Atlantic ocean....with hell with Ghana and Benin....we should focus more on our economy than the affairs of those small parasitic countries

Expel the usless man from ECOWAS if he can't honor free trade protocol ..enough of this begging ..one dull man after messing up his country wants to mess up the economy of the whole west Africa ..West Africa should call his bluff and expel him

Chale... No, we will not.

Until y'all come to prostrate and beg in my office.. Shay you people don't have respect abi..

Unless you admit that we are the Giant of Africa.

No way mr man our border must remain closed

Said by the Idiotic formal Ghanaian President that passed the law that Nigerians shouldn't be allowed to trade in Ghana

SalamRushdie:
Expel the usless man from ECOWAS if he can't honor free trade protocol ..enough of this begging ..one dull man after messing up his country wants to mess up the economy of the whole west Africa ..West Africa should call his bluff and expel him

Then tell your country men to stop smuggling illegal goods

edoairways:

Then tell your country men to stop smuggling illegal goods

Is that not what the borders and Customs was created to stop?

First it was their ministers that wouldn't allow Abuja rest,
Later their current president Nana,
Now ex-president joining the begging team starting his own in Lagos, why can't they just keep quiet and let us rest.

SalamRushdie:
Expel the usless man from ECOWAS if he can't honor free trade protocol ..enough of this begging ..one dull man after messing up his country wants to mess up the economy of the whole west Africa ..West Africa should call his bluff and expel him

Who do you think is controlling d so call ECOWAS? My friend keep praying Bubu might change his mind soonest,else ECOWAS can't mess with its main Engine.

Trimque2k1:
Who do you think is controlling d so call ECOWAS? My friend keep praying Bubu might change his mind soonest,else ECOWAS can't mess with its male Engine.

They can , how I wish I was the Ghanian president

SalamRushdie:
Expel the usless man from ECOWAS if he can't honor free trade protocol ..enough of this begging ..one dull man after messing up his country wants to mess up the economy of the whole west Africa ..West Africa should call his bluff and expel him

humm who is ECOWAS if Nigeria is not there It is like you don't know how powerful Nigeria is in ECOWAS ?if your job align with smuggling through land borders pls look for another job bcs long lasting promise border opening can damage your heart if care is not taking.

PMB please ignore.

let the border remain closed

adekolaelect:
humm who is ECOWAS if Nigeria is not there It is like you don't know how powerful Nigeria is in ECOWAS ?if your job align with smuggling through land borders pls look for another job bcs long lasting promise border opening can damage your heart if care is not taking.

Good advice if he will listen..

That border must remain closed

adekolaelect:
humm who is ECOWAS if Nigeria is not there It is like you don't know how powerful Nigeria is in ECOWAS ?if your job align with smuggling through land borders pls look for another job bcs long lasting promise border opening can damage your heart if care is not taking.

Is Nigeria in East Africa ? Are they not surviving

SalamRushdie:
Expel the usless man from ECOWAS if he can't honor free trade protocol ..enough of this begging ..one dull man after messing up his country wants to mess up the economy of the whole west Africa ..West Africa should call his bluff and expel him

Why not write ECOWAS, UN, AU, FIFA and NBA for quick intervention?

Grown ups still being spoonfed by their parents/guardians won't see any merit in Ghana President's call. Of what benefit has border closure been to the common man other than the ill thought policy piling more hardship on the already downtrodden? Common sense dictates that government's sincere investment in food production coupled with price control measures such that such produce become readily available and affordable would naturally discourage importation. But no,the egg heads at the helm of affairs won't consider the aftereffects of their obnoxious policies. Let God arise!

SalamRushdie:


Is Nigeria in East Africa ? Are they not surviving

OK sir but tell yourself and all those that are crying for border closing to stop crying once you said they can survive.we say no to smuggling in Nigeria.

[quote author=helinues post=84185927]

Why not write ECOWAS, UN, AU, FIFA and NBA for quick intervention?[/quote
How has border closure been of benefit to you? why not consider the pros(if any) and cons of a policy before lending your support?

[quote author=myboy2111 post=84175436]Mr John Mahama, Former President of Ghana on Tuesday appealed to the Nigeria Government to open up her border so that economic activities can resume in West Africa.

No mind them

Let the border remain closed.
I want Ghanaians to do their worst before we finally crush them.

SalamRushdie:


They can , how I wish I was the Ghanian president

As Ghanaian President, the man knows much better than you or anybody else who isn't part of their govt. They know how important trading with Nigeria is to their economy

Trimque2k1:
As Ghanaian President, the man knows much better than you or anybody else who isn't part of their govt. They know how important trading with Nigeria is to their economy

They are just trying make Nigeria see sense but they have what it takes to make Buhari receive sense ..

1 . Convince other Sensible ECOWAS states to force Nigeria out of the Free trade protocol or they all pull out .

2 . Threaten to pull Ghana out of ECOWAS is Buhari is not called to order .

3 . Get all other ECOWAS members to withdraw all the high commission service from Nigeria and request same from the Buhari govt .

4 . Give a travel advisory to citizens to avoid travel to Nigeria .

5 . Convince will ECOWAS countries to severe direct flights with Nigeria .

6 .Get ECOWAS countries except Niger to give 14 days deadline to Nigerian Banks to leave their countries ( have u ever seen any Ghanian Bank doing Business here)

7 . Unveil a timeline to Nationalise Glo Ghana

And see whether the economic Terrorist Buhari won't budge

SalamRushdie:


They are just trying make Nigeria see sense but they have what it takes to make Buhari receive sense ..

1 . Convince other Sensible ECOWAS states to force Nigeria out of the Free trade protocol or they all pull out .

2 . Threaten to pull Ghana out of ECOWAS is Buhari is not called to order .

3 . Get all other ECOWAS members to withdraw all the high commission service from Nigeria and request same from the Buhari govt .

4 . Give a travel advisory to citizens to avoid travel to Nigeria .

5 . Convince will ECOWAS countries to severe direct flights with Nigeria .

6 .Get ECOWAS countries except Niger to give 14 days deadline to Nigerian Banks to leave their countries ( have u ever seen any Ghanian Bank doing Business here)

7 . Unveil a timeline to Nationalise Glo Ghana

And see whether the economic Terrorist Buhari won't budge

Lol and you think any of this will affect Nigeria?

Edygrin:

Lol and you think any of this will affect Nigeria?

What is Nigeria ? A poor country with low revenue , no infrastructure , no water supply , no electricity , lowest standard of living on Earth , poorest people on Earth and the dullest president on Earth ... Abeg in the committee of Nations Nigeria is currently a NOBODY till we get it right

SalamRushdie:


What is Nigeria ? A poor country with low revenue , no infrastructure , no water supply , no electricity , lowest standard of living on Earth , poorest people on Earth and the dullest president on Earth ... Abeg in the committee of Nations Nigeria is currently a NOBODY till we get it right

Lol ah! Back to the same quote again as usual... And Ghana the most developed country in the world, with good road networks, power supply everywhere, intellectually sound president, light rail networks, richest people in the world, best military in the world, and the country the world looks up to is begging a "common" country like Nigeria to open it's borders...
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