The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has hinted that it will champion retaliations against Nigerian traders in Ghana if the country does not reopen trade borders with neighbouring countries .
Richard Amamu, Deputy General Secretary of GUTA has told journalists that what the most populous African nation is doing is not different from attempting to eat its cake and still have it, especially in respect of Ghana.
“We are not saying that they should not implement their laws but they cannot eat their cake and have it, they should not think that they should have the right to implement their laws but we should not,” Mr. Amamu said.
According to him, the closure of the Nigerian borders is making it difficult for Ghanaians who trade with the country.
Nigeria closed her borders in a move by the Buhari government to stop the smuggle of some 45 contraband products into the country from other ECOWAS member states.
GUTA had earlier pointed out in a statement that Africa’s largest economy is doing to other nationals, the very things that it does not want to be done to its nationals.
Richard Amamu contends that by the closure, Nigeria is trampling on the very ECOWAS protocols that protect its nationals in other West African countries, including Ghana.
“They have closed their borders and we think it is impeding free movement of people, goods and services to and fro from other West African countries; this is not what ECOWAS is saying. ECOWAS countries have decided they will do business together, and therefore free movement. But as we speak they don’t want people to do business in their country, they are preventing people from importing and exporting from their country.”
The GUTA Deputy General Secretary warned that if Nigeria’s does not backtrack on what it is doing, it should not complain when other countries like Ghana decide to reciprocate that gesture.
“We are not going to sit down for Nigerians to think they are superior; they have laws, we also have laws, once they have decided to implement their laws, we must also be able to implement our laws. We are not saying that they cannot do business in Ghana; our law says if you want to invest in our country, you must meet some (capital) threshold. If you cannot do it fine, but Nigerians must not think they can eat their cake and have it.”