A video which has gone viral on social media, captured the moment some members of Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) allegedly closed down shops owned by Nigerians in Kumasi, Ashanti Region’s capital on Sunday December 1.
The Ghanaian traders accused Nigerian traders of violating section 27 of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act 865, which stipulates that the sale of goods or provision of services in a market, petty trading or hawking or selling of goods in a stall at any place in the country must be reserved for Ghanaians.
Other services the Ghanaian traders claimed must be reserved for its citizens include;
-Operation of taxi or car hire service in an enterprise that has a fleet of less than twenty-five vehicles
-Operation of a beauty salon or a barbershop
-Printing of recharge scratch cards for the use of subscribers of telecommunication services
-Production of exercise books and other basic stationery
-Retail of finished pharmaceutical products
-Production and retail of sachet water.
The GUTA members insisted that Nigerians are violating the law by using the ECOWAS protocol which allows the free movement of goods and citizens of the sub-region to trade and do any kind of business in any place, as backup.
Wife of one the Nigerian traders who were victims of the incident, told LIB “Ghanaian traders at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Ghana closed the Nigerian traders shops on Sunday 1st December. The Nigerians refused to be intimidated, came on Monday morning and broke down all the pad locks the Ghanaians used to lock the shops…then fight started with Ghanaians bringing out alot of dangerous weapon, and Nigerians facing then with full force before. Ghana police was able to control the situation.
Ghanaians want the Nigerian traders to leave their market…it is not fair as we also have alot of Ghanaians trading in Nigeria without issues.”
