Ghana defends $1m levy on Nigerian traders

The Ghanaian Minister of Information, Kojo Nkrumah, yesterday justified the $1m trade levy and other regulations imposed on Nigerian traders in Ghana.

Nkrumah was reacting to a statement last week by the Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, that 825 Nigerians were deported from Ghana in one year.

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Mohammed had also said Nigeria was worried by attacks and harassment of her nationals and the progressive acts of hostility towards the country by Ghanaian authorities.

But on Sunday, Nkrumah Nkrumah accused Nigerian traders in Ghana of trade violations which, he said, included “tax evasion, immigration offences, trading in substandard products, violation of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre law, improper registration of firms, under-payment of business operating permits, falsification of documents, among others.”

On the statement by Lai Mohammed that 825 Nigerians were deported between January 2018 and February 2019, Nkrumah said 700 Nigerians involved in fraud, prostitution, and armed robbery were deported from Ghana.

“The Federal Republic (Nigeria), on the other hand, is on record to have taken a number of steps in recent months, in pursuit of her national interests, which have gravely affected other countries in the region.

“These include the closure of Nigeria’s Seme Krake border from August 2019 to date and the issuance of executive orders by Nigeria’s Presidency preventing foreigners from getting jobs which Nigerians can do, to mention a few,” Nkrumah said.

He said: “The President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who values very much his excellent relations with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, will engage President Buhari with a view to develop immediately a framework for validating claims of ill treatment of citizens of either country, and ensure citizens enjoy the full exercise of their rights, while respecting the sovereignty and laws of both countries.