The Nigeria Union of Traders Association, Ghana (NUTAG) has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to intervene on their behalf following a threat by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) to shut down and remove Nigerian traders from Ghanaian market.
According to them, this is against ongoing discussions between the Inter-Ministerial Committee of both countries to review a concession to allow “our members who have not registered with the GIPC to stay out the remaining days, months or years of their tenancy agreement after which they are supposed to pack out because the rent for those shops shall not be renewed and will not be allowed to rent shops anywhere in Ghana.”
In a statement on September 15, 2021, the Nigerian traders said they we were taken aback by the recent found attitude of GUTA rushing to the press anytime they like to castigate Nigeria government and her people.
It said after their last bilateral meeting between Ghana and Nigeria held in Accra on May 31, 2021, they were given the indication that Nigerian traders could continue to operate until the Joint Implementation Taskforce (JIT), finish its work.
However, the Nigerian traders said it came to them as a surprise when GUTA broke an agreement they had and went to the press to demand that “we shut down our businesses or they will forcibly remove us from the market”.
“You will recall that Mr. Joseph Obeng, the GUTA president, broke the agreement we reached at the bilateral meeting, urging the two-trade unions not to go to the press any longer until the two governments make the final statement on the outcome of the meeting”.
The statement continued that “While NUTAG received the Honorable Speakers statement as a relief to several years of agony and sorrow our members and indeed other Nigerian traders suffer in Ghana, GUTA president descended on the Rt. Hon. Speaker and said so many things which are in the public domain”.
The statement signed by its President, Chief Chukwuemeka Nnaji, asked President Akufo-Addo, President Muhammadu Buhari, the ECOWAS Commission and the international community to urgently intervene and prevent GUTA from attacking its members as promised in their last press release.
