By: Theresa Igata

The question of the closure of Nigerian businesses in Ghana has yet again been brought to the front burner of discussion as the Ghanaian High Commissioner in Nigeria, Alhaji Rashid Bawa, has absolved his country of blame in the closure of over 400 Nigerian businesses in Ashanti, Ghana.

Bawa, who spoke in Lagos on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ forum on ECOWAS trade themed: ECOWAS Integration and Challenges of Nigerian Traders in Ghana’, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the closure of the businesses did not affect only Nigerians but other nationals, including Chinese and Indians.

Represented by the Minister, Counsellor for Trade and Investment, Mr Sintim Asare, Bawa explained that contrary to reports that 400 Nigerian businesses were closed, only 117 were shut because they were not registered, defaulted in tax payment, their owners did not have work permits and majority of them dealt in fake drugs.

“We are committed to the ECOWAS Treaty and we cannot fight Nigerians, because they are our brothers. Some of the 117 businesses have been reopened. For those that are still shut, the owners were given time to regularise their papers and they are doing that, while others have simply shut their shops out of fear of attacks or in solidarity with their brothers who have not opened theirs.”

In response, the President of Nigerian traders in Ghana Chukwuemeka  Levi, said it was not true that most of the Nigerian businesses closed dealt in fake drugs or failed to register.

He expressed displeasure that, the integration spirit is far from entering into the inner chamber of Ghanaian government. “Ghana who was one of the countries championing the Pan Africanist movement in the 50s and 60s has turned out to be the champion of those putting so much obstruction on the part of African integration with what they have displayed so far against the Nigerian cum ECOWAS citizen in Nigeria”.

Levi noted that the challenges and harassment of Nigerian traders in Ghana has become a ritual since 2007 when several shops belonging to Nigerians were shut down.

“Of course it is no longer news that one of us in the course of this untold hardship could not bear it any longer due to the harassment from her creditors and so she took her life on 22^nd September, 2018”.

He maintained that the Act completely eroded the rights of other ECOWAS citizens in Ghana, whereas the citizens of Ghana enjoyed privileges all over West Africa while in March, the Ghana Deputy Minister of Trade had issued an ultimatum to Nigerian businesses to leave the market as prescribed by the GIPC Act

Speaking earlier, the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mr. Babatunde Ruwase, said alleged clamp down on businesses owned by African nationals, especially Nigerians in Ghana questions the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS protocol on free movement of goods and services among member countries.

“With a robust market of over 386 million people, significant benefits of economies of scale would be enjoyed by businesses in the ECOWAS sub region in the event of full market integration. This would lower unit costs and enhance our competitiveness, integration is in fact the main vehicle for the boosting of trade within the sub region, with integration, our economies would be stronger and their capacity to cope with the challenges of globalisation would be enhanced.”

He noted that some ECOWAS member states were putting in place policies that negate the spirit of economic integration in the sub-region urging that,  “We need to tackle the current frustrating barriers to trade in the sub-region. The trade treaties are not being fully implemented.”

“Trade treaties are not being fully implemented and compliance levels are very low and commitment to the protocols very weak”, he said.

He however expressed sadness that after 43 years of ECOWAS, “we are still grappling with numerous tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade”.