Nigerian traders accuse government of inciting in GUTA to close down their shops

The Nigeria Union of Traders Association-Ghana has accused the Government of Ghana of being behind the recent attacks and close-down of Nigerian-owned shops by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), ABC News can report.

According to the group, the government is embittered by the closure of Nigeria’s borders to other African countries and has, therefore, resorted to punishing Nigerian traders in Ghana through GUTA.

Nigeria, on August 20, 2019, closed its borders with Benin and soon after, closed sections of its border with Cameroon and Niger in an attempt to check the smuggling of some foodstuffs including rice, as well as, offensive weapons into the country.

The decision by Nigeria, according to exporters, particularly Ghanaians, is taking a toll on their businesses as most of them are having their goods perish.

A few months down the line, the protracted impasse between GUTA and foreign retailers, especially Nigerians in Ghana, has resurfaced with GUTA threatening to close down all retail shops belonging to Nigerians.

On the back of the recent actions taken by GUTA, the President of the Nigeria Union of Traders Association-Ghana, Chief Chukwuemeka Nnaji, believes that an offended Government of Ghana is inciting GUTA to launch a reprisal attack on their members.

“I don’t understand the problem of GUTA. I am beginning to suspect that government is just using GUTA to punish Nigerians. What happened? Border is closed and you are closing Nigerian shops; some of our brothers’ goods are still at the border with yours…”

“…and just recently GUTA said Nigerians are importing fake goods from Nigeria and now they are also closing our shops because they say that the border is closed. I am sick and tired of that,” he said.

He averred that there is a need for the Ghanaian traders to tread cautiously as there may be unexpected dire consequences to their actions.

He, further, appealed to the government to intervene to ensure that things are done in the appropriate manner.

“So government should come to Nigerians’ rescue because I am really sick and tired of it. If the government wants Nigerian traders to leave Ghana, let them say it and that is it. I am not sure we are going to fight something that does not belong to us.

“There is no problem because we have been here for a very long time. People have stayed here for more than 40 years, some of the Nigerians have lived here for over 100 years and now said they should leave, there is no problem but that should be dealt in the proper way and that is my own stand on this thing,” he stated.