• Order Nigerian businesses to leave markets by Nov 14
• Customs halts fuel supply to frontier filling stations

Nigerians doing business in Ghana have been asked to quit their shops by Thursday, November 14, 2019, or be forcibly evicted in apparent retaliation against the Federal Government’s closure of the borders.

The ultimatum was issued by the Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) and the Ghana Electrical Dealers Association (GEDA).

One of the notices sighted yesterday at strategic locations in markets across Ghana, especially in Kumasi, reads in capital letters: “Attention! Attention! Attention! According to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Law Act 865 Section 27A, you are not to be in our market. We are by this notice informing you to leave our market by 14th November 2019. By GUTA.”

Another notice states “Warning! Warning! Warning! The agreement between GUTA, GEDA and the foreigners in our market place is up. So, the foreigners are given up to this weekend to abide by the agreement to leave our market places or they will be forcefully compelled to abide by it. By GEDA and GUTA.”

A Nigerian trader in Ghana told The Guardian: “They have closed some of the shops and threatened to close the shops belonging to Nigerians before November 14. They are angry because of Nigeria’s border closure, which has affected their businesses.

“The threat and notice for Nigerians to quit their market premises have been on for about 15 years now. There is an ongoing government campaign to send Nigerians back to their country. Since the present government in Ghana got into power, Nigerians are being deported for lack of work permits, prostitution, fraud, and other excuses.

“They have increased the cost of getting a work permit and taxation of Nigerian businesses in order to frustrate them. Even when you pay for all these, it might take, at least, three months to get back your international passport.”

According to a recent report by the BBC, “More than 100 foreign-owned shops are getting shut down by Ghanaian traders in the country’s second-largest city, Kumasi. Most of the shops are run by Nigerians. The traders shutting down the shops say they’re being run illegally but the shop owners deny this.”

Representatives of the Accra and Abuja governments reportedly met on Monday, November 4, 2019, to discuss the possibilities of opening Nigeria’s border to Ghanaian traders.

The border was closed in August 2019 to prevent the smuggling of products from neighbouring West African countries. Many trucks have since been stranded at the Seme border. Over the weekend, the Nigerian government announced that the restriction would remain till January 31, 2020.

Ghana’s deputy trade and industry minister, Carlos Ahenkorah, while speaking on The Big Issue over the weekend said he was hopeful that both parties would reach an agreement to facilitate trade.

The president of Nigeria Union of Traders Association, Ghana (NUTAG), Chukwuemeka Nnaji, had earlier told The Guardian that despite the provisions of ECOWAS protocols, Ghana’s use of its GIPC Act 865, Section 27 (1a) of 2013, flouts the provisions on rules of engagement.

He said while Ghana continues to enjoy the privileges conferred on ECOWAS citizens in the region, the government and its people keep prohibiting other citizens from doing the same in Ghana.

“Despite the discussions between Nigerian and Ghanaian governments at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the ordeal of Nigerian traders in Ghana escalated as the Ghana Union Traders Association took a different turn by attacking businesses in the Ashanti region.

“Getting a residence permit is more difficult than getting the USA Green Card. The conditions are enormous. Already, we are advising Nigerian traders to leave Ghana until the challenges are addressed, especially as Ghana Immigration Services are equally cracking down on foreigners, particularly Nigerians,” he said.

A representative of the Ghana High Commission, Sintim Barimah Asare, at a recent forum, appealed for calm and understanding among operators, pledging that his country remains committed to the ECOWAS treaty.

He said the Ghanaian government seeks to protect its petty traders from undue competition, stressing that the GIPC law is for medium and large enterprises and not for micro-businesses.

Representative of the Nigeria-Ghana Business Council, Ms Abiola Ogunbiyi, called for an understanding of the provisions of the ECOWAS treaty. She said while provisions of the regional integration treaty presuppose that things are working, the reality is different.

The president of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Babatunde Runsewe, noted that the use of domestic policies that negate the spirit of economic integration in the sub-region limit bilateral ties among member countries.

“There are numerous institutional and infrastructure problems militating against the lofty objectives of ECOWAS. We, therefore, need to tackle the current frustrating barriers to trade in the sub-region.

“The trade treaties are not being fully implemented. Compliance levels are very low and commitment to the trade protocols is very weak. After 43 years of ECOWAS, we are still grappling with numerous tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade.” he said.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) meanwhile has halted the supply of petroleum products to filling stations within 20 kilometres of all the land borders.

The directive might not be unconnected with allegations that operators of some border filling stations were conniving with criminals to smuggle fuel to neighbouring countries.

Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, who gave the directive through a memo signed by Chidi A, the Deputy Comptroller General (Enforcement, Inspection, and Investigation), said petroleum tankers must not be allowed to discharge contents within said distances.

https://m.guardian.ng/news/ghanaians-enraged-over-border-closure/

Lol. We just starting.

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The interesting part is that consultation is free of charge. Yes! Free of charge.

The universe has its way of rewarding us for our magnanimity.

Just imagine Ghana of yesterday....
Buhari has done a very good job...
We are the giants of Africa...
Lets set that right.....They are to be eating out of our own surplus and not the other way round....

We aint opening our border soon so Ghana should go to hell...
We may consider deporting every ghananian over here too.....

Good riddance to rubbish!

They won't leave o do your worst

“The threat and notice for Nigerians to quit their market premises have been on for about 15 years now. There is an ongoing government campaign to send Nigerians back to their country. Since the present government in Ghana got into power, Nigerians are being deported for lack of work permits, prostitution, fraud, and other excuses

Border closure started few months ago! The hatred has been there for long, they just got an excuse to execute it.
Coz I'm yet to understand why this issue is frustrating Ghanaians, they are not our immediate neighbor, sea trade is available to them, the govt is also working on a temporary route to serve them, so Y d noise pls

We have no contiguous border with Ghana; no less than two countries separate us, so what is the fuss about?

The little orderliness that exists in Ghana is largely due to their small population, not because they are a very sane people. Some Ghanaian folks here have been making a lot of noise on GDP Per Capita; they conveniently forget the fact that it is within the same range as that of Nigeria that has a population seven times bigger. India has a GDP per capita that is even lower than that of both Nigeria and Ghana, but it is the 5th biggest economy in the world--bigger than that of The U.K., France, Spain etc.

About their stable electricity; the output from Egbin and Sapele power stations, working at full cycle ALONE, is equal to what Ghana actually produces in megawatts. You get the idea now.

Accra, their capital, is just at the level of Warri, a second-tier city over here.

If you ask their guys here to explain the reason for their persistent wailing on the closure of our own border, they would refer you to the ECOWAS Convention--a Convention they have never really honored; just look at the laws that they cited in the article [GIPC whatever], those laws are sharply in dissonance with the spirit of the ECOWAS Convention that they usually use as a ruse.

I say boldly that these guys are massively overhyped.

I only wish the Nigerians in Ghana return home and channel their energies into steering Nigeria out of the woods. I would really like to see what other joker Ghana would use to spite [as they think] us.

We are livid about the worryingly inappropriate level that Nigeria is, but we won't allow Ghana show itself at a parade it was not even invited, neither does it belong. Even in our sombre mood, we'd still remember that Nigeria has more satellites in space than any African country. Ghana can only start dreaming of a space program starting from 2090.

GHANA IS A VERY IMPOVERISHED COUNTRY and we do not give a flying Bleep about it.

Whatever happens to our borders will be wholely of our making.

QED.

Hello, Sunburned Republic of Ghana.

We ain't opening those borders until January 31st.

Una never hear?

Don't know how this border closure will help an average Nigeria... But I really love it. This is one of the things buhari's govt have done that I like

DEM NEVER CHI CHUM CHIN





I LAUGH IN SWAHILI

h

This is frustration of the frustrated. This is just the beginning.

skyblueking:
Just imagine Ghana of yesterday....
Buhari has done a very good job...
We are the giants of Africa...
Lets set that right.....They are to be eating out of our own surplus and not the other way round....

We aint opening our border soon so Ghana should go to hell...
We may consider deporting every ghananian over here too.....

Good riddance to rubbish!

Like how many Ghanian do u see on ur street.

When Nigerians liter every nook and cranny of Ghana

They are crazy idiot people, we Nigeria didn't enjoy 24hours light, who cares the border is close till 2023

--

Na wa o

Na Nigerian traders collect their donkunu?


Charlie abeg calm down

Kwanza:


https://m.guardian.ng/news/ghanaians-enraged-over-border-closure/

Ghanaians are mad oo.. they hate Nigerians with passion

I agreed that Nigeria should not open the border for now even for some time, is then some neighbouring countries we know Nigeria is not as useless as others take it, but just only we don't know how to make use of what we have as a giant country..

Is this a form of XENOPHOBIA?

martowskin1:


Like how many Ghanian do u see on ur street.

When Nigerians liter every nook and cranny of Ghana

There is a place known as ahmed way in alakuko Nigeria called ghana village . come and see your people there even mounting ghanian flags everywhere . Come to onitsha , edo state , portharcourt etc . if we retaliate , you people will feel it the most

Nigerians must go bags will sell very well in Ghana, these days. I love Karma. These PMB policies are not only shaking Nigerians but Africa as a whole. When Nigeria sneezes, Africa gets cold. God bless Nigeria.

Lol these guta GUTA clowns are too dumb. If they had tact they would make it a political issue like I've said before. The Ghanaian government wont enforce the laws so you're issue is with them ultimately. If you want issue solved kick those set of politicians out in the 2020 election.

All these pointless threats and noise wont do anything. The police will simply reopen shops. Lol it will be funny if the government ends up changing the law to make these shops legal then GUTA will pound sand afterwards.

Let's start by hijacking those Ghana boys wet dey hawk yellow 'bunce' in show glass, those boys wet their heads don flat because of hawking, those boys wet their heels don tear abi crack because of endless trekking



Their mama Toto,Ghana no reach

Me and just want to go there and enjoy sweet Ghana girls. Nothing concern me with shop or border

The borders should be permanently sealed off. I don't usually agree with some of PMB s decisions and policy, but you see this border closure has revived our economy and protected our nation in a way it has never been before. Let us be selfish a little bit.

OnlineSalesNG:
There is a place known as ahmed way in alakuko Nigeria called ghana village . come and see your people there even mounting ghanian flags everywhere . Come to onitsha , edo state , portharcourt etc . if we retaliate , you people will feel it the most

Oga you're talking crap

Shey we give Ghana light too and sometimes they owe. Oya make we off the light. We no want their money.