The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) has threatened to carryout ‘reactive steps’ against the ill-treatment of Nigerian traders by the Ghanaian authorities.
The President of NANTS, Barrister Ken Ukaoha gave the warning on Thursday during a joint press briefing with Nigerian Union of Traders Association Ghana (NUTAG) in Abuja.
He said, “The water has gone beyond where we can swallow and we are vomiting it. Although Nigerian government is making effort to resolve the issue through diplomatic means, we may be pushed to the wall to take reactive steps.
“Nobody should hold us accountable for the two million Ghanaians who are living in Nigeria. We know what to do. We can’t retaliate. We can act. We have our own way too. We are being punished for doing nothing.”
Ukaoha said despite the assurance by the Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Ado after meeting with his Nigerian counterpart in New York on the sideline of the UN general Assembly that the eviction order was not targeted at Nigerian traders, their shops are yet to be re-opened.
Daily Trust had reported that despite the directive by the country’s Trade Minister, Mr Alan Kyeremateng that over 400 shops and trading outlets belonging to Nigerian traders be re-opened, those shops remained closed.
“How many days will it talk the Ghanaian authorities to implement the directive it issued that all shops belong to Nigerians be re-opened. Up till today, all those shops remained closed,” he said.
He said the association has received reports from Ghana that the authorities there have now gone on a closing spree, locking warehouses belong to Nigerians.
The issue, he added, is inching towards xenophobic dimension as Nigerians are no longer safe to walk freely on the streets of Ghana because of attacks.
He insisted that the Ghanaian trade law is inconsistence with that of ECOWAS treaty.
He expressed dismay that the ECOWAS protocols on free movement of goods and people were pushed aside by the Ghanaian parliament.
The president of NUTAG, Chief Chukwuemeka Nnaji, said after meeting with the regional minister in the Ashanti region, who assured them that those maltreating Nigerian traders would be arrested, nothing is being done as the attacks continue unabated.
