Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey says government will exhaust all diplomatic avenues to get Nigeria to re-open its western borders for the free flow of goods from Ghana to the sub-region.

Nigeria partially closed its borders with Benin in August this year to curb the spate of rice smuggling which Africa’s most populous country said is threatening its attempt to boost local production.

The move, according to Nigeria’s High Commission to Ghana, Olufemi Michael Abikoye also aims at stopping the movement of illicit weapons and other smuggled goods through the various entry points.

The closure however, has affected the movement of goods and services from the West African sub-region into Nigeria through that section of the country’s border, a situation the Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA) said is causing its members to incur huge losses.

GUTA subsequently petitioned Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey to act on the matter.

After a meeting with the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, on 15 October 2019, Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey called on the Nigerian government to take immediate steps to resolve the border issue.

“As we speak, Nigerian goods are entering Ghana without any problem and I think that we should find ways of isolating the issues and the countrie that you have problems with so that Ghana’s exports can enter your market without being lumped up with all these issues that have emerged,” she appealed.

She said truckloads of goods from Ghana have been detained at the Seme border between Benin and Nigeria for weeks and coming back to use the seaports will be a major problem as the traders have already lost millions within the last few weeks.

The Nigerian High Commissioner, Olufemi Abikoye said Abuja would be willing to collaborate with Ghana to find a lasting solution to the situation.

“At the end of it, we’re helping our economies. The smuggling will stop and the emerging issues put on the platform and at the end of it, all of us will be very happy”, he noted.

He added, “the sub-region will be happy and Nigeria will be able to generate employment and I appreciate you Your Excellency for calling for this meeting, it actually shows your diplomacy at the highest level and whatever the concerns with respect to Ghanaian goods that are stuck at the border, we shall convey to Nigeria,” he noted.

He was emphatic that Ghana was not the target for the temporary closure of the borders, pledging his country’s commitment to find a lasting solution to the matter following the setting up of a joint task force constituting Customs, Immigration and other security bodies for the broader benefit of the ECOWAS Sub region

dat9jaguy:
GUTA were the ones beefing nigerian traders recently.
Nigeria too much,na common sneeze na him we sneeze,West Africa catch cold.

OwenDesired:


I see no warning..only plea bargaining

MrStan11:
This trade war Nigeria is starting eh, nah we go sufferam o.
Not politicians buh local man and local woman.

Naira will loose value against dollar soon just because
1. Hyper-inflation is on the way.
2. Unemployment will increase.
3. Unfavorable economic indices.
4. Debt.
5. Once Trump comes out of this
impeachment saga, watch how dollar
strength would increase.



Nigerians anti atokirina!!!!

Commentor:


When would Trump come out of his impeachment saga?

dat9jaguy:
GUTA were the ones beefing nigerian traders recently.
Nigeria too much,na common sneeze na him we sneeze,West Africa catch cold.

chrisagyei:
****did you hear her.Nigerian goods are entering into Ghana freely buh you refuse these trucks who had already set off entry so they want to even return back.And GUTA was told to open Nigerian shops and stop the protest because you Nigerians run to these same ECOWAS to cry free trade agreement. Over 400 Nigerian shops were locked in just one town in another city called Kumasi alone which was just a spare parts dealership town.Imagine the millions of Nigerians who will go hungry in Ghana had GUTA locked up your shops and closed Nigerian retail businesses throughout Ghana. They just sounded a warning to the minister to inform you that if Ghana retaliates, it will be very ugly so stop saying trash.

Area4Area:
https://allafrica.com/stories/201910110417.html

Didn't even know we are recognized this way by Ghana

chrisagyei:
****did you hear her.Nigerian goods are entering into Ghana freely buh you refuse these trucks who had already set off entry so they want to even return back.And GUTA was told to open Nigerian shops and stop the protest because you Nigerians run to these same ECOWAS to cry free trade agreement. Over 400 Nigerian shops were locked in just one town in another city called Kumasi alone which was just a spare parts dealership town.Imagine the millions of Nigerians who will go hungry in Ghana had GUTA locked up your shops and closed Nigerian retail businesses throughout Ghana. They just sounded a warning to the minister to inform you that if Ghana retaliates, it will be very ugly so stop saying trash.

backnbeta:

You think those closed naija shops in Ghana define the economy of Nigerians living in Nigeria? I don't support the bad Belle border closure, but I don't see how Guta's threat in Ghana have any effect...the worst they'll do is to close the shops again

chrisagyei:
****did you hear her.Nigerian goods are entering into Ghana freely buh you refuse these trucks who had already set off entry so they want to even return back.And GUTA was told to open Nigerian shops and stop the protest because you Nigerians run to these same ECOWAS to cry free trade agreement. Over 400 Nigerian shops were locked in just one town in another city called Kumasi alone which was just a spare parts dealership town.Imagine the millions of Nigerians who will go hungry in Ghana had GUTA locked up your shops and closed Nigerian retail businesses throughout Ghana. They just sounded a warning to the minister to inform you that if Ghana retaliates, it will be very ugly so stop saying trash.

chrisagyei:
She is a diplomat,she hardly issue warning, it's GUTA who petitioned her and warned her of retaliation if the issues is not resolved cos when they started their aluta which is in the Ghanaian constitution legally that no foreigner is suppose to start any business in Ghana except when you have a capital of 1 million dollars, it was this same government who calmed them down because you people were like close friends of ours and so they are not even calling for you people to open your borders.They are now justifying why they did and should do what they did nationwide and retaliate by closing the Ghanaian borders because you have shown bad faith.That's why your ambassador is reasoning with the minister's call to forward it because it can be ugly.She doesn't want to retaliate quickly but wants to know if our trucks should return back so the trade war begins.

chrisagyei:
She is a diplomat,she hardly issue warning, it's GUTA who petitioned her and warned her of retaliation if the issues is not resolved cos when they started their aluta which is in the Ghanaian constitution legally that no foreigner is suppose to start any business in Ghana except when you have a capital of 1 million dollars, it was this same government who calmed them down because you people were like close friends of ours and so they are not even calling for you people to open your borders.They are now justifying why they did and should do what they did nationwide and retaliate by closing the Ghanaian borders because you have shown bad faith.That's why your ambassador is reasoning with the minister's call to forward it because it can be ugly.She doesn't want to retaliate quickly but wants to know if our trucks should return back so the trade war begins.